Higher Learning Advocates Applauds the Passage of the American Rescue Plan

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Congress passed and President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, which will provide much needed support to today’s students as the pandemic continues and beyond. Executive Director Julie Peller made the following statement:

“Higher Learning Advocates is pleased to see continued investment in direct emergency aid for today’s students—as we have seen over the past year, unexpected expenses for things like medical care, transportation, child care, and more have posed a huge barrier to students’ continued access and success in higher education. The $18.4 billion in emergency aid grants is a welcome investment in today’s students’ persistence and completion in their chosen course of study. 

Higher Learning Advocates also applauds the historic investments the American Rescue Plan Act makes in child care. Nearly one-in-four of today’s students are parents, and these child care stabilization funds, along with the increased investment in child tax credits and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), will help ensure that student parents have the support they need to complete their degree or credential.

Finally, Higher Learning Advocates is glad to see that dependent adults—a category that includes many college students—are included in this round of stimulus payments. Taxpayers who claim dependent adults over the age of 18 will now receive additional stimulus payments, a policy change that is especially relevant for students who are a dependent for tax purposes and student parents with older children. 

Higher Learning Advocates looks forward to a continued focus on the needs of today’s students in future relief packages and applauds Congress and the Biden Administration for ensuring Americans are receiving the support they need.”

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Higher Learning Advocates is a bipartisan non-profit organization that advocates for solutions to break down systemic barriers and support the success of today’s students in their pursuit of education and skills development beyond high school. We advance federal policies that create transparent pathways to success, incentivize innovation, protect students and taxpayers, and improve student outcomes.