Rep. Veasey Statement on Administration’s Plan to Provide Equal Access to Higher Education
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement following President Obama announcing a proposal to make community college tuition-free for millions of students:
"I applaud the President for ensuring that our children are provided an opportunity to achieve the American dream through higher education. It is clear that a training gap exists in our country and the only way to alleviate this is to provide equal access to higher education for all Americans and to create collaborations between businesses and educational institutions.
This proposal would make community college free for students who show commitment to their education and also creates a new American Technical Training Fund, which will expand innovative, high-quality technical training programs across the country.
I believe that creating opportunities for students to link their studies to their future careers is critical in order to bridge the skills gap and provide opportunities for the future. That is why during my first term in Congress I authored The Bridge to Manufacturing Jobs Act, a bill that would ensure that our children have the opportunity to have hands-on experience in their future careers. In addition, I was proud to offer an amendment in the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee that provides grants to community colleges in order to form partnerships with businesses to develop career training programs for in-demand industries.
As we begin the 114th Congress, I stand ready to work alongside the Administration so that Dallas County Community Colleges and Tarrant Community College can benefit from these initiatives to prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy."