Recognizing the significance of "Community College Month" as a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States supporting access to higher education, workforce training, and more broadly sustaining and advancing the Nation's economic prosperity.

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 334 Recognizing the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ as a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States supporting access to higher education, workforce training, and more broadly sus- taining and advancing the Nation’s economic prosperity. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 27, 2023 Mr. COURTNEY (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. TONKO, Mr. COSTA, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. ALLRED, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. PA- NETTA, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. SOTO, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, and Mr. EDWARDS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ as a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions through- out the United States supporting access to higher edu- cation, workforce training, and more broadly sustaining and advancing the Nation’s economic prosperity. 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; VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:58 Apr 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR334.IH HR334 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HRES 334 IH Whereas the term ‘‘community college’’ was popularized by the President’s Commission on Higher Education in 1947 in recognition of the community-centered nature of the emerging sector of institutions; Whereas local community and educational leaders throughout the Nation developed community colleges at a dramatic pace over several decades to instill civic pride and meet their people’s needs for educational and economic oppor- tunity; Whereas, today, 1,038 community colleges, 932 public, 35 Tribal, and 71 independent, serve 10,200,000 credit and noncredit students; Whereas public community colleges are an affordable option, charging average annual tuition and fees for in-district students of $3,860, have an average student age of 27, and serve students who often are working, low income, parents, veterans, or the first in their family to go to col- lege; Whereas community colleges are the primary educational in- stitution serving workforce development needs in the United States, and are responding to current economic conditions by educating professionals in fields ranging from the semiconductor and construction industries to nursing and other health care professions; Whereas 49 percent of all students completing a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year college in 2016 had been enrolled at a 2-year public college in the previous decade; Whereas community college graduates typically reside close to their college, with 61 percent living within 50 miles of the campus they attended; VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:58 Apr 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR334.IH HR334 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HRES 334 IH Whereas 82 percent of public high schools offer dual enroll- ment programs allowing their students to take college classes, usually at their local community college, offering opportunity to save time and money in college and jumpstart career exploration; Whereas alumni of community colleges generated $898,500,000,000 in added income to the national econ- omy in fiscal year 2020, or 4.1 percent of the total gross domestic product; Whereas every dollar of public funding for community col- leges returns $6.80 in tax revenue generated; and Whereas celebrating ‘‘Community College Month’’ provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the value of institutions that have long sup- ported American prosperity and competitiveness and com- munity vitality and that will be important to the Nation’s economic future: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog- 1 nizes the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ as 2 an opportunity to celebrate over 1,000 community colleges 3 throughout the United States serving local and regional 4 needs and strengthening the American economy. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:58 Apr 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR334.IH HR334 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB