WASHINGTON — Julie Peller, Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates, made the following statement to express Higher Learning Advocates’ support for the Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act introduced by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN):

“Today’s students are more diverse—in age, race, and income level—than any previous generation of college students, and they seek a system of higher learning where postsecondary providers deliver skills and knowledge that lead to employment or further education. To fit today’s students’ needs, programs must be flexible and support student success both inside and outside of the classroom.

By providing grants to community colleges, a cornerstone of postsecondary learning in our nation’s communities, and building on the lessons of prior programs, this legislation will connect work and learning, support today’s students needs both inside and outside of the classroom, and foster innovation in the field.  The ACCESS to Careers Act is an important step toward better supporting the success of today’s students and connecting their learning to work.”   

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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.