Scott, More Than 100 Members of Congress Aim to Make Higher Education More Accessible and Affordable
WASHINGTON – TODAY, Friday, July 8, 2016, one year after the introduction of the America’s College Promise Act of 2015 (ACP), there are more than 100 House Democrats support the need for action on legislation that would benefit millions of American students in their pursuit of a more affordable college education.
The America’s College Promise Act of 2015 makes two years of community college free and provides an affordable pathway for low-income students to earn a four-year college degree. The legislation would give students the opportunity to access quality and affordable higher education that gives them the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.
“Students and families are faced with the overwhelming burden of figuring out how to pay for college,” said Ranking Member Scott. “America’s College Promise is a step in the right direction to help families gain access to quality, affordable higher education opportunities. For low-income students, this bill creates a pathway to a four-year degree at qualifying Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving institutions (AANAPISIs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). At a time when families feel like they’re increasingly having to adapt to a changing economy and technology, America’s College Promise creates a way for them to gain the skills they need to compete in a 21st century economy.”
The bill provides a federal match of $3 for every $1 invested by the state to waive community college tuition and fees for eligible students before other financial aid is applied. ACP would help to cover a significant portion of tuition and fees— for either the first two years or last two years of college—for nearly 300,000 students at approximately 340 four-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving institutions (AANAPISIs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), stand to benefit each year.
America’s College Promise was originally proposed by President Barack Obama in his 2015 State of the Union speech, with the goal of making community college as universal as high school.
The America’s College Promise Act of 2015 has 105 House cosponsors: Reps. Rubén Hinojosa, James E. Clyburn, G. K. Butterfield, Judy Chu, Linda Sánchez, Alma Adams, Seth Moulton, Mark Takano, Raúl M. Grijalva, Cedric Richmond, Corrine Brown, Danny K. Davis, Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Brendan F. Boyle, Lois Capps, David N. Cicilline, Katherine Clark, John Conyers Jr., Mark DeSaulnier, Donna F. Edwards, Anna Eshoo, Chaka Fattah, Marcia L. Fudge, Al Green, Gene Green, Luis V. Gutiérrez, Janice Hahn, Mike Honda, Hakeem Jeffries, Joseph P. Kennedy, Derek Kilmer, Ron Kind, John B. Larson, Barbara Lee, Sandy Levin, John Lewis, Ted Lieu, Ben Ray Luján, Jim McDermott, James P. McGovern, Gwen Moore, Grace F. Napolitano, Donald Norcross, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Stacey E. Plaskett, Mark Pocan, Charles B. Rangel, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Bobby Rush, Gregorio Sablan, Loretta Sánchez, Adam Schiff, José E. Serrano, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takai, Norma J. Torres, Chris Van Hollen, Frederica Wilson, John Yarmuth, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Bill Pascrell Jr., John Delaney, William Keating, Pete Aguilar, Doris O. Matsui, Jerry McNerney, Marc A. Veasey, Alcee L. Hastings, Karen Bass, Alan S. Lowenthal, Marcy Kaptur, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Juan Vargas, Alan Grayson, Ann Kirkpatrick, Bill Foster, Susan A. Davis, Terri A. Sewell, Kathy Castor, David Loebsack, Richard E. Neal, Eliot L. Engel, Joyce Beatty, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Tammy Duckworth, Steve Cohen, Jared Huffman, Robin L. Kelly, C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Mike Quigley, Richard M. Nolan, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. Johnson, Tony Cardenas, Janice D. Schakowsky, Bennie G. Thompson, James R. Langevin, Robert A. Brady, John Garamendi, Beto O'Rourke, Gregory W. Meeks, Yvette D. Clarke, Matt Cartwright, and Jackie Speier.
The America’s College Promise Act of 2015 has 16 Senate cosponsors: Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ).
America’s College Promise is supported by: AFL-CIO, Alliance for Equity in Higher Education, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), Asian American and Pacific Islander Association of Colleges and Universities (APIACU), Asian and Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund (APIASF), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Campaign for America’s Future, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Consumers Union, Generation Progress, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), National Education Association (NEA), National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), National Skills Coalition, One Wisconsin Now, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Student Debt Crisis, The Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), United Negro College Fund (UNCF), University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin Extension, and Wisconsin Technical College System.
Read more about the America’s College Promise Act here.
Read the bill text of the America’s College Promise Act here.
Statements of support from organizations can be viewed here.
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