National Stem Scholarship Database Act

Floor Speech

NATIONAL STEM SCHOLARSHIP DATABASE ACT -- (House of Representatives - June 06, 2007)

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the National STEM Scholarship Database Act. In a time of global economic and scientific competition, we must ensure that our brightest young people have the resources to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

When students graduate from American universities with undergraduate degrees, they graduate with on average, $20,000 in debt. This undergraduate debt is a significant factor in a student's decision to pursue graduate school. And among science and engineering students, those who had debt from their undergraduate education were more likely to say they could not afford graduate school.

We cannot afford to limit the potential of these students, or those who find the cost of even an undergraduate education prohibitive. We cannot afford to have ambitious students with interest and aptitude in science or math or engineering shut out of our colleges. We need Americans with advanced degrees in the STEM fields to propel our Nation forward in discovery and innovation.

This bill makes it easier for students to find scholarships and grants to finance their educations. It does not require a significant investment from the Federal Government--although I believe we should make the investment in more Federal loans in the future. It simply creates a central location where students can learn about their options.

This is a common sense way to help students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. It is a simple, low-cost part of our competitiveness agenda, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it today.

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