Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mrs. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``BASIC Act,'' which I introduced today.
I know how important it is to help students cover the full cost of attending college, including tuition and fees, housing, food, transportation, books, medical, childcare and supplies.
In California, even though State and institutional aid programs cover full tuition and fees for about half of students attending a California State University, University of California and California Community College, students struggle to pay for the remaining cost of attendance.
Each year, over 300,000 eligible applicants do not receive a state Cal Grant because of limited availability. Non-tuition college costs can exceed $20K annually. Low-income students may spend about half their family income on out-of-pocket costs after grant aid. This bill will help accelerate California's work to make college affordable and provide funding to reach more schools across California and across our Nation. This is especially important at a time when community college enrollment has slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among students of color, lower-income students, and students who have left to work or take care of family members.
As we work to build back better and increase affordability and accessibility of higher education, we must help our students stay in school.
That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to authorize $1 billion for a new grant program to help institutions of higher education meet students' basic needs.
This funding represents an essential aspect of building more equitable paths to higher education, and it represents an investment in our students, our institutions, and our future.
This legislation recognizes the disproportionate impact this pandemic has on vulnerable populations and it helps coordinate assistance across federal agency lines.
I want to thank Senator Warren and Representative Torres for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that ensures no student is forced to choose between their education and food or housing.
Thank you, Mr. President. ______
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