119-sres202

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 202 Agreed to Senate

    (ATS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 202

 Recognizing the significance of ``Community College Month'' in April 
 2025 as a celebration of the more than 1,000 community colleges 
 throughout the United States that support access to higher education, 
 workforce training, and more, and broadly sustain and advance the 
 economic prosperity of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 5, 2025

 Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Mr. 
Risch, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Welch, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, 
 Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Wyden, Mr. King, Mr. 
 Crapo, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) submitted the following resolution; 
 which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing the significance of ``Community College Month'' in April 
 2025 as a celebration of the more than 1,000 community colleges 
 throughout the United States that support access to higher education, 
 workforce training, and more, and broadly sustain and advance the 
 economic prosperity of the United States.

Whereas the first public community college, known today as Joliet Junior College 
 in Illinois, opened its doors to 6 students in 1901 as an experiment to 
 accommodate those who wanted to pursue a college education without 
 leaving their community;
Whereas the term ``community college'' was popularized by the President's 
 Commission on Higher Education in 1947 in recognition of the community-
 centered nature of this emerging sector of institutions;
Whereas local community and educational leaders throughout the United States 
 developed community colleges at a dramatic pace over several decades to 
 meet their people's needs for educational and economic opportunity;
Whereas today 1,026 community colleges, including 921 public, 36 tribal, and 69 
 independent colleges, serve 10,200,000 credit and noncredit students;
Whereas public community colleges are an affordable option, charging an average 
 annual tuition and fees for in-district students of $3,990, have an 
 average student age of 27, and serve students who often are working, 
 low-income, parents, veterans, or the first in their family to go to 
 college;
Whereas community colleges are the primary educational institution serving 
 workforce development needs in the United States and are responding to 
 current economic conditions by educating professionals in fields ranging 
 from the semiconductor and construction industries to nursing and other 
 health care professions;
Whereas community colleges enrolled 43.1 percent of all undergraduate students 
 during the 2022-2023 academic year;
Whereas the median distance from the home of a student attending community 
 college to the community college is only 10 miles;
Whereas 82 percent of public high schools offer dual enrollment programs, 
 allowing their students to take college classes, usually at their local 
 community college, and offering them an opportunity to save time and 
 money in college and jumpstart career exploration;
Whereas alumni of the community colleges of the United States generated 
 $898,500,000,000 in added income to the national economy in fiscal year 
 2020, equal to 4.1 percent of the total gross domestic product of the 
 United States;
Whereas every dollar of public funding for community colleges returns $6.80 in 
 tax revenue generated; and
Whereas celebrating ``Community College Month'' in April 2025 provides the 
 people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the value 
 of institutions that have long supported the prosperity, 
 competitiveness, and community vitality of the United States and that 
 will be important to the economic future of the United States: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the significance of 
``Community College Month'' in April 2025 as an opportunity to 
celebrate the over 1,000 community colleges throughout the United 
States that serve local and regional needs and strengthen the economy 
of the United States.
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