,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #abcb  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,november #ai1  
#bjbj,ms4 ,wild 7for herself and ,mr4   
,guthrie7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,education and ,labor     
,,resolution  ,designating ,november    
#bjbj as ,national ,college ,application
 ,month4  ,whereas equality of          
opportunity for all people is one of the
 noblest aspirations of the ,united     
,states2 ,whereas the ,bureau of ,labor 
,statistics reports that the employment 
rate for young adults with a bachelor's 
degree and the employment rate for young
 adults whose highest credential is a   
high school diploma differ by #bj       
percentage points1 which has widened    
exponentially as a result of            
,,covid-#ai2 ,whereas a #bjae study by  
,georgetown ,university identified that 
the average lifetime earnings gap       
between college graduates and           
individuals with only a high school     

diploma is #a1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas the ,pew
 ,economic ,mobility ,project finds that
 whether a child born in the lowest     
income quintile obtains a #d-year degree
 or higher credential is associated     
with-- 7#a7 an approximately #gj percent
 difference in the probability of that  
child earning an income outside the     
lowest income quintile2 and  7#b7 a     
threefold difference in the probability 
of that child going on to earn an income
 in the highest income quintile2        
,whereas colleges and universities      
report that enrollment in the number of 
nontraditional students at colleges and 
universities remains steady and is      
projected to rise in coming years2      
,whereas the ,bureau of ,labor          
,statistics reports that approximately  
#cd percent of high school graduates in 
#bjai did not matriculate to an         
institution of higher education the     
following fall semester1 representing a 
decline in the college enrollment of new
 high school graduates from the prior   

year1 most notably from among students  
of color2 ,whereas the ,bureau of ,labor
 ,statistics also reports that the      
unemployment rate for recent high school
 graduates not enrolled in college in   
the fall semester of #bjai was #ah4b    
percent1 significantly higher than the  
national unemployment rate2 ,whereas    
many secondary students struggle to     
identify and assess postsecondary       
options due to a number of factors1     
including insufficient information on   
programmatic outcomes and difficulties  
in accessing effective or consistent    
counseling services and resources2      
,whereas the complexity of financial aid
 systems and processes1 rising college  
costs1 and a shortage of effective      
financial education and literacy        
programs can serve as additional        
deterrents or barriers for students and 
families as they assess the viability of
 higher education programs as a         
postsecondary option2 ,whereas the      
,united ,states built a thriving middle 

class in part by nurturing the potential
 for colleges and universities to       
provide avenues to economic opportunity2
 ,whereas data on the benefits of higher
 education demonstrate that1 in spite of
 ongoing barriers to access and student 
success1 colleges and universities can  
still provide pathways to economic      
opportunity2 ,whereas the ,national     
,center for ,education ,statistics ,high
 ,school ,longitudinal ,survey finds    
completion of the ,free ,application for
 ,federal ,student ,aid is one of the   
best predictors of future college       
enrollment1 as high school seniors who  
complete the form are #hd percent more  
likely to begin postsecondary education2
 and ,whereas the ongoing impact of     
,,covid-#ai on communities1 families1   
and educational systems across the      
country underscores and reinforces the  
value of ensuring that all secondary    
school students have available and      
understand all their postgraduation     
options3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that   

the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7   
supports the designation of ,national   
,college ,application ,month2  7#b7     
encourages the people of the ,united    
,states to-- 7,a7 evaluate options for  
pursuing higher education2  7,b7 submit 
a ,free ,application for ,federal       
,student ,aid to understand college     
financing opportunities2 and  7,c7      
support every student1 regardless of the
 background or resources of the student1
 in obtaining the skills and knowledge  
needed to thrive2  7#c7 supports efforts
 to better assist low-income and        
first-generation students throughout the
 financial aid and college application  
process2  7#d7 urges public officials1  
educators1 parents1 students1 and       
communities in the ,united ,states to   
observe ,national ,college ,application 
,month with appropriate activities and  
programs designed to encourage students 
to consider1 research1 and apply to     
college and for financial aid2 and  7#e7
 commends teachers1 counselors1 mentors1

 and parents who support students       
throughout the college application      
process1 as well as the organizations   
and institutions partnering to eliminate
 barriers to higher education4