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Portman Provisions to Increase College Access for Low-Income
Students Included in Final Education Bill
Senate Expected to Vote on Portman’s Provisions Next Week
Special to The Truth
Last week, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced that
the final Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes his
provision to encourage greater college access for low-income
students by allowing them to earn college credits in high
school.
By providing students the opportunity to simultaneously
pursue a high school diploma while earning college credits
tuition-free, early college high schools and dual and
concurrent enrollment programs improve secondary and
postsecondary outcomes for students.
Portman authored this bipartisan language with U.S. Senator
Chris Coons (D-Del.) and it is based on the senators’ bill,
the Go to High School, Go to College Act of 2015, which
incentivizes early college high schools and dual enrollment
programs. The Senate is expected to vote on ESSA next week.
“Our amendment will help to break down barriers for
low-income students pursuing a college education,” Portman
stated. “These provisions will allow students to get a head
start on college courses in high school, therefore improving
their chances of completing a college degree. This is an
important part of helping low-income students succeed and I
urge my colleagues to pass these commonsense provisions.”
Despite recent increases in the nation’s high school
graduation rate, the number of graduating students who place
into remedial coursework in college is at a record high and
more than 3.5 million jobs remain unfilled because employers
cannot find workers with the necessary skills. The
educational demands of the workforce are growing, and by
2018, two-thirds of the nation’s jobs will require at least
some postsecondary education.
The federal government must help states and districts tackle
these challenges by ensuring increased access to high
quality accelerated coursework that gives high school
students a leg up on postsecondary education, said Portman.
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