Espaillat Introduces Legislation to Expand Dual Enrollment, Early College Programs

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), today announced in collaboration with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the reintroduced the Jumpstart on College Act, which aims to expand dual enrollment and early college programs, empowering high school students in their junior and senior years to enroll in college courses and earn credits at little or no cost for them and their families. Dual enrollment and early college programs make higher education more affordable for students, especially first-generation and low-income students, by reducing the number of courses they need to take as a student of a two or four-year higher education institution where they would otherwise have to pay tuition per credit hour. As a result of these programs, students complete their higher education degrees at higher rates.

“We know that education changes lives and the path to success in higher education and economic mobility includes the ability to get a head-start on college courses,” said Representative Espaillat. “Dual-enrollment in early college programs are successful and our legislative efforts aim to expand these programs to ensure more youth across the nation, especially from within low-income and underserved communities, will have access and the opportunity to achieve. I am proud to join Senator Markey, once again, to reintroduce the Jumpstart on College Act, to make quality higher education more accessible and affordable for students around the nation.”

“Every year, we see college tuition costs skyrocket and more young people suffer under the weight of student debt,” said Senator Markey. “Young people deserve a jumpstart on their higher education. As we fight to bring down the cost of a college degree and lift the burden of student debt off the backs of working families and low-income students, Congress has the opportunity to make investments that will open the doors of higher education to high school juniors and seniors. Our legislation is not just an investment in higher education, but it is also an investment in building a brighter future for hard-working Americans. Education must be for all – not just the wealthy and well-connected. I thank Representative Espaillat for his partnership in making college more affordable and accessible.”

“When students have access to dual enrollment, research tells us that they are more likely to access and complete college,” said Alex Perry, Coordinator of the College in High School Alliance. “The Jumpstart on College Act provides important new support for states and dual enrollment programs nationwide to focus on improving access to these programs, ensuring high quality and meaningful college course experiences for students, and supporting them into college and career. I applaud Congressman Espaillat and Senator Markey for their continued support for this important work.”

A copy of the legislation can be found HERE.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Representatives Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), and Eric Swalwell (CA-14) are cosponsors.

Specifically, the Jumpstart on College Act would:

1. Invest $250 million each year to establish six-year grants to support dual enrollment and early college high schools that primarily serve low-income students;

2. Create a competitive grant program for colleges and universities to partner with local school districts to support the development of these programs;

3. Provide financial support to states in order to develop and implement a statewide strategy for increasing access to dual enrollment programs for underrepresented students; and,

4. Improve college affordability by ensuring students pay nothing to earn college credit while in high school, including completion of a college degree or other postsecondary credential.

The Jumpstart on College Act is endorsed by Achieving the Dream, Advance CTE, All4Ed, American Student Assistance, Association for Career and Technical Education, Bard College, Bard College at Simon’s Rock (MA), Capital Region Board of Cooperative Educational Services (Capital Region BOCES, NY), Center for the Future of Arizona (AZ), Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), University of Indianapolis (IN), Chemeketa Community College (OR), Clover Park Technical College (WA), College in High School Alliance (CHSA), Colorado Community College System (CO), Community College of Philadelphia, PA, Complete College America, DeKalb Early College Academy (in the DeKalb County School District) (Stone Mountain, GA), Democrats for Education Reform(DC), Democrats for Education Reform Massachusetts (MA), EdAdvance (Litchfield, Connecticut), Educate Texas (TX), The Education Trust, Empower Schools, Gallaudet University (DC), Greater Twin Cities United Way, Illinois Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (ILACEP), JFF, Kellogg Community College (MI), Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KY), KIPP NYC Public Schools, Latinos for Education, Learn to Earn Dayton, Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL), Michigan Early Middle College Association (MEMCA), Middle College National Consortium, Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) (Utica, NY), National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), New Mexico Dual Credit Partnerships (NMDCP), Pittsburgh Technical College (PA), St. Cloud State University (MN), State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), SUNY Oswego (NY), University of Maine System (ME), University of New Mexico-Taos (NM), Vienna, HSD 13-3 (Vienna, IL), Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium (WEOC), Washtenaw County (MI), and Workforce Career Readiness.

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov