Aguilar Leads Discussion on Education for Latinos During Hispanic Heritage Month Press Conference

Press Release

Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) led the discussion on the importance of investing in education for Latino students during a Hispanic Heritage Month press conference held by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

"It's a critical time for Latinos in America. To talk about where we're headed, we need to talk about where we've begun. We walk in the footsteps of giants: Cesare Chavez, Justice Sotomayor, Dolores Huerta, and the list goes on. We need a generation that can keep that going. We need leaders who can--if we invest in them now--who can lead us into the future. We can't afford to miss that chance," said Aguilar.

He continued, "College affordability is a big piece for me personally. I know what it's like to balance studying in school and working part time just to make ends meet. I was one of the lucky ones. I had a Pell Grant to help me along the way. But students shouldn't have to be lucky. No student should be denied a quality education because he or she can't afford it. We're better than that. Every kid--whether you grow up in New York City or whether you grow up in San Bernardino, California--you deserve a chance at the American Dream."

Aguilar also highlighted the importance of early childhood education, investments in underprivileged K-12 schools and free community college as critical pieces to improving education in the United States for Latino students. Rep. Aguilar is a steadfast supporter of increasing opportunity in the classroom--he cosponsored the All-Year ACCESS Act, which increases access to Pell Grants and he cosponsored the America's College Promise Act of 2015, which provides two years of free community college and puts low-income students on the road to achieving a four-year college degree. Earlier this year, Rep. Aguilar held a student loan workshop for students affected by the closure of Everest College. He's a cosponsor of the Protections and Regulations for Our Students (PRO) Act, which sets up accountability measures for for-profit colleges like Everest and strengthens whistleblower protections for students and staff.

Source