AAUW celebrates Passing of H. R. 4135
On Feb. the 8th the House of Representatives passed by a healthy
majority this bill entitled "College Opportunity and Affordability
Ace) supporting important higher education programs and providing new opportunities
helping all students, but especially women.
Priorities on the AAUW list for education funding include year-round
Pell Grants, expanded SMART grant eligibility for part-time students
(many of which are women, and improvements to the campus-based child-care
program all of which assist nontraditional students as they struggle to
make their college dreams reality.
This bill also provides means of increasing women's representation in
science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by bolstering
student interest, improving teacher recruitment and training, and funding
a
drive to expand the population of qualified individuals in STEM fields
by
an analysis of factors that presently limit the participation of both women
and minorities.
The bill creates the Patsy Mink Graduate Fellowship Program, named in
honor of the former Congresswoman from Hawaii who was so active in establishing
Title IX and an AAUW member.
Note that our own small local scholarship effort is also aimed at returning
or reentering women seeking college degrees.
Vel Dysart
Public Policy Chair
