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¡Punto Final!

A College Degree is the Foundation of the American Dream

Like most in this country, I hail from a family of immigrants. My parents came to this country when their own families fled the Mexican revolution in 1910. Despite hailing from humble origins, my parents always placed a high premium on education. They intuitively understood that education was the path to a better life. They even picked up and moved to another town with better schools when they discovered I was languishing in inferior, segregated classrooms. As a result of their foresight and encouragement, every single one of my parents’ 11 children graduated from high school; half of us graduated from college.

We were lucky. For most in my region, college was not even in the realm of possibility. For me, a college degree became an achievable dream only after the passage of a particular piece of federal legislation that provided greater opportunities to returning World War II soldiers. Thanks to the G.I. Bill of Rights, colleges had to accept our returning veterans—rich, poor, black, Mexican—they had to take them all. As a result, I was witness to a nation that became smarter, stronger and richer because of an egalitarian investment in education.

My upbringing and this important bill have fundamentally shaped my priorities in Congress. Ever since I arrived in 1996, I have been a strong advocate for federal programs aimed at colleges serving large numbers of Hispanic students. Now, as the new chairman of the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, I will continue to fight for equality in education. I want to make sure that all children—no matter their race, ethnicity, or economic status—have the chance to pursue a college education if they so desire.

Unfortunately, too many of our students today are still being left behind, whether because of soaring prices or the lack of academic preparation. We must remember that it is in our nation’s best interest to fix this glaring higher education access and affordability problem. Consider this, by the year 2025, just to keep pace with our international competitors, the United States would need to produce an additional 15.6 million college graduates. That translates to another 781,000 degrees per year or a 37 percent increase over current levels. There are no two ways about it – that is a tall order.

I truly believe this lofty goal can be accomplished—we have the power to make sure that America does not lose its competitive edge in an increasingly cutthroat global economy. But in order to do so, we must stop shortchanging our next generation of college students. It is clear that Hispanic students will account for much of the growth in our traditional college-aged population. Yet, we know that nationally, only half of these students are graduating from high school on time. Only one in five is college-ready.

The issue is complicated by the rampant lack of financial literacy—too many of our families simply do not understand financial aid or the college process. In fact, a recent survey found that more than half of Hispanic parents and 43 percent of young adults could not name a single source of college financial aid.

We also know that cost continues to be a major obstacle. The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance estimates that in 2003, more than 170,000 college-qualified low-income students did not enroll in any college at all because of financial barriers. Certainly, we can do better.

The good news is that in just a few short months, the 110th Congress has already made a down payment on improving higher education access and affordability. We have passed legislation reducing interest rates on subsidized student loans and ensured that every recipient of a Pell Grant has equal access to the maximum amount – regardless of whether they attend low-cost institutions. We also provided the first increase in Pell Grants in over four years, boosting the maximum to $4,310 – a $260 increase.

Clearly, we need to do more. A college degree is the foundation of the American dream, opening the door to countless opportunities and increasing earning power by more than $1 million over a lifetime. I am confident that in this session we can better ensure that the American Dream remains within the reach of all Americans, not just a select few.