Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 6472, the Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act.

Mr. Speaker, since my first term in Congress, expanding access to higher education for students from the United States territories has been a priority. Today, I am proud that the House is considering meaningful, bipartisan legislation to address this issue.

I want to point out that the United States small territories face unique geographic and economic challenges. Small populations, remote locations, and constrained local economies make it difficult for residents to pursue specialized training or many degrees close to home.

Students from small territories who seek degrees or majors not available locally must attend college on the mainland. That is the reason why Puerto Rico is not included in this legislation. Puerto Rico has multiple universities on that island. In the smaller territories, however, we do not.

For example, in the Virgin Islands, we do not offer degree programs for engineering, economics, international relations, French, or history to name a few. For many of our students, costs, not ability, is what prevents them from earning a degree. The lack of access to higher education limits workforce development, economic growth, and long-term stability in the territories as discussed by the chairman.

Our brain drain is exponentially greater due to our isolated location. This legislation directly addresses this challenge. H.R. 6472 amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public colleges and universities receiving Federal funds to charge eligible small territory residents no more than in-State tuition rates. As you heard from Ranking Member Scott, there is no cost presently in this legislation to the Federal Government's budget.

By removing this barrier, we reduce families' financial burden, expand access to programs unavailable on the islands, and strengthen the workforce pipelines that territorial economies depend on to sustain their future.

I am deeply grateful to Congressman Moylan, former Congresswoman Radewagen, Congresswoman King-Hinds, as well as Congressman Hernandez for cosponsorship and partnership. I especially thank Chairman Tim Walberg as well as Ranking Member Bobby Scott of the House Committee on Education and Workforce for their bipartisan leadership in moving this legislation through the committee.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of the United States territories serve in this Nation's Armed Forces, pay Federal taxes, and are bound by its laws. They are American citizens in every sense of the word. Federal support for access to multiple degrees in higher education should extend to all of us. This bill does that without being a burden on the Federal Government's budget.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 6472.

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