Presidential Document2021-24116
National College Application Month, 2021
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 3, 2021
Signed
October 29, 2021
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60537-60538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24116]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 210 / Wednesday, November 3, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 60537]]
Proclamation 10298 of October 29, 2021
National College Application Month, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
When America made 12 years of public education
universal more than a century ago, it gave us the best-
educated, best-prepared workforce in the world--which
in turn was a major part of why we were able to lead
the world in the 20th century. Today, however, we know
that 12 years is no longer enough to compete. American
students deserve every opportunity to gain the skills
they need to carve out a place for themselves in
tomorrow's economy. But according to a recent study,
the United States now ranks 33rd out of 44 advanced
economies when it comes to the share of our young
people who have attained a degree beyond high school.
If we are going to set the pace around the globe once
more--on research and development, innovation and
discovery, equity and opportunity, and creating good-
paying jobs with dignity--it is imperative that we put
an affordable, high-quality education after high school
within reach of every American student. During College
Application Month, we celebrate the possibilities that
postsecondary education provides and encourage
Americans to apply to colleges and universities as we
work to ensure that every student has a chance to reach
their full potential and strengthen our Nation's
future.
My Administration is working hard to ensure that higher
education is equitable, accessible, and affordable for
every student in every community. That is why my
Administration Build Back Better framework includes
major investments in community colleges, as well as our
essential network of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities
(TCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
In addition, my plan would increase the Federal Pell
Grant award, a key resource to help students from
lower-income families afford college--including costs
beyond tuition. Each of these investments will help
America's young people, including Dreamers, earn a
better shot at the good-paying jobs of tomorrow. My
Administration is also working to modernize the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid form. Finally, we
are taking steps to ensure that academic institutions
do a better job of providing students with clear and
transparent information on how much they can expect to
pay for college and their options to afford those
costs.
However, as important to our Nation's future as
accessing college is, college completion is just as
critical. Far too many students enter college only to
have to drop out before graduation, and we are seeing
firsthand how the pandemic has exacerbated the
challenges students face as they seek to complete their
studies. COVID-19 has significantly increased economic
insecurity for families across the country,
particularly for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community,
and those in low-income communities, resulting in new,
unequal barriers to college enrollment and completion.
My Administration stands ready to support our Nation's
colleges in welcoming back every student who had to put
their education goals on hold due to the pandemic.
My Administration has also called for bold investments
in completion and retention at colleges and
universities that serve high numbers of low-income
students--including community colleges--so that all
Americans have the
[[Page 60538]]
opportunity to obtain an education beyond high school.
These investments would help cover proven solutions for
student success, including providing wraparound
services such as child- and elder-care, mental health
services, accessibility resources, and emergency basic
needs grants, in order to help more Americans enter and
graduate college.
Additionally, my Administration is working hard to
provide institutions with funding and flexibility to
meet students' needs. Earlier this year, we launched an
outreach campaign to millions of Federal Pell Grant
recipients who are now eligible for a monthly discount
on broadband internet service under a temporary program
administered by the Federal Communications Commission.
We have also partnered with other agencies across the
Federal Government to notify institutions and their
students about expanded access to the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, health care benefits, tax
cuts for those raising children, and financial aid and
postsecondary education opportunities for students and
families facing unemployment.
This month, we celebrate the hard work and promise of
students across the country and recommit ourselves to
building back better by ensuring that everyone in
America can pursue and complete a high-quality,
affordable higher education. We thank the parents and
loved ones, teachers, professors, administrators,
financial aid professionals, college access
organizations, mentors and counselors who help our
students throughout the college application process and
beyond.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2021
as National College Application Month. I call upon
public officials, educators, parents, students, and all
Americans to observe this month with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities designed to
encourage students to make plans about, apply for, and
graduate from college.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-24116
Filed 11-2-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 3, 2021.
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