The News Journal: Senator Chris Coons penned an op-ed on Wednesday on a bill he introduced last week to help increase the number of low-income students able to access and complete a college education. The American Dream Accounts Act of 2012, which is cosponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), would authorize the Department of Education to award three-year competitive grants to support innovative and comprehensive partnerships that support low-income students in preparation for a college education.
In the new global economy, Americans who do not earn some higher education — whether community college or a four-year degree — will, on average, earn a million dollars less in their lifetimes. American employers have, today, thousands of jobs available for those with the right training, but that training is out of reach for too many.
That’s why last week I introduced the American Dream Accounts Act of 2012. This legislation encourages partnerships among schools, colleges, nonprofits and businesses to develop secure, Web-based student accounts that contain information about academic preparedness, financial literacy and high-impact mentoring and are tied to a college savings account. Instead of approaching these threads independently, this bill connects students, parents and teachers across these silos. It is a small but significant step toward helping more students of all income levels access, afford and complete a college education.
Click here to read the full op-ed on The News Journal’s website.
Click here to read or watch Sen. Coons’ floor speech introducing the American Dream Accounts Act.
Click here learn more about Chris’ work to improve education.