Good morning and welcome, everyone. Good morning and welcome, everyone. The subcommittee on Higher Education and workforce investment will come to order. Were happy that youre here. I know that a kwoerm is president and i want to ask that unanimous kent that miss haze of pennsylvania be able to participate with understand that their question also come after all committee hems. We are hearing testimony on engines of economic mobility, the Critical Role of Community Colleges, historically black colleges and universities and minorityserving institutions in preparing students for success. Pursuant to Committee Rules 7 c Opening Statements are limited to the chair and Ranking Member and this allows us to hear from our witnesses sooner and provides all members with adequate time to ask questions. I recognize myself now for the purpose of making an opening statement. Today we will examine the Critical Role of historically black colleges and universities hbcus. Hispanic serving institutions and Community Colleges in providing low income students and students of color with a quality Higher Education. Our first three bipartisan hearings have so clearly demonstrated that a College Degree remains the surest path to Financial Stability for americans across the country. This is particularly true for low income students and students of color whose educational and workforce opportunities have historically been limited by intergenerational poverty and systemic racism. In fact, studies show that students with parents in the bottom quinn tile of the Income Distribution can move up the ladder with a degree. However federal data released this morning on federal College Enrollment reveals pennsylvania 50 percentage point gap between low income students and wealthy peers process. We have work to do. Hbcus Tribal Colleges and universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Community Colleges continue to do this work and demonstrate their commitment and ability to provide the students with the benefits that come with a quality education. Founded for the specific purpose of educating black students because other institutions would not hbcus continuing to live up to their mission can go providing a community where black students can tloif. Hbcus make up less than 3 of colleges and universities. Yet they produce almost 20 of all black graduates. Tribal colleges and universities tcus were developed as part of a political and social movement to regain tribal autonomy and combat centuries of forced assimilation of native communities. Today there are 35 accredited tcus serving students from more than 230 federally registered tribes. Hispanic serving institutions educate more than 3 out of five undergrat latino students and one quarter of all undergraduate students. Among fouryear institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions proposal low income students to top income bureaucrats at a rate 3 times three times that of predominateny white institutions. Hispanic serving institutions can also act as cultural hubs for latino students, many of whom earn their degree and return to work in their own communities. These institutions are effective engines of economic mobility. Because they meet students where they are and are dedicated to educating the whole person. Hbcus and tcus in particular emhe had bed appreciation for the identity and culture of the students they serve in their foundational missions, honors ancestors, sustaining traditions and engaging honestly with american history, all serve to signal to students that they belong in college. Many other institutions such as asianamerican and native American Pacific islander serving institutions and predominate dominateny black institutions also serve low income students and students of color. These institutions are forced to do more with less. To be designated as a minority serving institution, colleges must not only enroll a substantial number of students of color but it must also enroll a substantial number of pale students and have fewer resources than peer institutions. In my own state, the California State University system is a model for how minority serving institutions can help students overcome barriers to Higher Education. Reflecting the population of the state, more than half of csu students are people of color, one in three students are the first in their family to attend college. And more than half of all students receive pel grants. Community college also play a crucial role in providing high income to low income students and students of color. The twoyear college often provide local and affordable option for students priced out of fouryear institutions. In fact, Community Colleges enrolled one in thee black students and nearly half of latino asianamerican and pacific islander, and first generation students. More than a third of low income students attend Community Colleges. The great work being done across the country by hbcu tcu abminority serving institutions and Community Colleges is unfortunately hampered by deeply inadequate funding. The persistent and systemic underfunding of hb ucs has been extensively zumted. The federal government has never fully philadelphia the obligation to support native students at tcus and less than half of designated hsi have received a grant through hsi specific programs. Appear the archl Community College receives about half the amount of per student funding received by public four year colleges. With this funding inequity we must ask ourselves how are the institutions Still Producing such strong results . How is that . As our witnesses will highlight, when we invest in hbcus and Tribal Colleges and universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Community Colleges, we empower hundreds of thousands of students each year with the most powerful tool available to achieve success. A College Degree. And lastly, as we honor the 65th anniversary of brown v. Board and wrestle with a promise unphiladelphia is it is evident that like our k12 system we spend more money to educate wealthy College Students than students underserved by our Education System. Depriving the institutions that serve our most vulnerable College Students of the resources made available to predominantly white fouryear universities is contrary to our values and the best interests as a nation. Congress has a responsibility to strengthen and invest in institutions that are prompting economic mobility, as we continue to work toward a reauthorization of key federal Higher Education policy, we must understand the critical work these institutions are doing to address the specific needs of todays students and invest in invest in these initiatives. Thank you. President verret, dr. Mchatton. Chancellor dubois. And president boham for being with us today. I yield to the Ranking Member mr. Smucker for his opening statement. Thank you, adam chair for yielding. Were all here today because we believe that every americaned should have the opportunity to pursue post secondary education. And we know doors are opened by a College Degree. We understand the importance of making this kind of opportunity achievable for everyone in our country. Higher education can help set individuals on the right path to achieve the american dream. And while its not the only pathway to a highquality family sustaining job, it provides many with the opportunity to get their foot in the door to a lifelong career. As a result of the economic policies that we put in place, the good news is todays graduates are entering a booming job market. We have over 7 million job openings and only 6. 7 million unemployed. Im proud of the opportunities our Economic Growth will create for the next generation and believe that if we give students access, those who are willing to work hard, make good decisions, have an excellent opportunity to succeed. That access is a critical piece of the pie. Higher education should be accessible and attainable regardless of circumstances, with which is why the federal government has made it a clear priority to ensure that low income and first generation students have the tools that they need to prepare for post secondary education commitments and manage the costs associated with earning a degree. As we continue to consider what must be done in any reauthorization of the Higher Education act we have the opportunity to ensure that restructuring and innovation our Higher Education systems provides all students that access to opportunities that offer those pathways to success, both inside and outside of the conventional classroom. That could mean alternative pathways to a furyear degree such as offering programs to teach in demand skills so so students can take only the courses they need to do their jobs, enrollment pathways later in life to reskill. For any of the changes to take place, we must recognize that the dollars, the money is an important part of the conversation. And institutions need to be willing to take responsibility for the outcomes of their students. Stories like one from this we could where a billionaire gifted an entire graduating class with paying off their student debt are great examples of one persons capacity for excellence in generosity but they also illustrate something too easily is forgotten that nothing is free and someone always pays the price. This means that congress and other institutions need to step up to the plate, do all that we can respectively to make Higher Education an investment that doesnt cost more than it reaps. And thats true for students and for taxpayers who are investing. In the promoting real student of success and opportunity through education reform, the prospers act, as comprehensive proposal to reauthorize the hea in the last congress, republicans included reforms that allowed students great are access to federal student aid, promoted earn and learn programs, increased flexibility in spending institutional aid and reformed the federal Work Study Program to better prepare students for future employment in their chosen fields. These bold ideas for affordable and accessible post secondary education recognize that for too long the federal government has complied with a myopic of what post secondary education is, and why people pursue any kind of Higher Education. We must recognize that post secondary Education Needs to work for students and not the other way around. This committee should continue to consider these reforms Top Priorities as it discusses policy changes that could be included in the reauthorization of the heap we need to striving on both sides of the aisle for new ideas that will increase opportunities for all American Students regardless of circumstances and support their efforts to succeed and prosper. With that i yield back. Thank you. Without objection all other members who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the Committee Clerk electronically in microsoft word by 5 00 p. M. On june 4th. Ill now introduce witnesses. Thank you all very much for being here. Dr. Reynold verret is the sixth president and second lay leader of xavier ewert of louisiana, a private catholic lishlt arts historically black college and university. Before his presidency in 2015, dr. Verest served at profits at savannah universities and wilkes university. Received his undergrat in biochemistry from clumia university. And ph. D. From biochemist fry the Massachusetts Institute of technology. Dr. Patricia mchatton the executive Vice President for Academic AffairsStudent Success and p 16 to it university of texas roy grenada valley a Hispanic Serving Institution. Dr. Has serve in a variety of leadership positions dean of college of education. Department care and associate dean for teacher preparation. Earning a ph. D. From the university of south florida in curriculum and instruction with emphasize of in special education and urban education. Dr. Glenn dubois is now the longest serving chancellor in the history of virginias Community Colleges. Hired in 2001. Since then he has led the system of 23 colleges and 40 campuses through two successful strategic plans and third call complete 2021 aspiring to triple the number of credentials the colleges put into virginias economy. Dubois earned his ph. D. In Higher Education energies, research and policy from the university of massachusetts. He holds a masters degree from Eastern Kentucky university, a bachelors degree from Florida Atlantic university and associate of science degree from the State University of snork in farmingdale. Dr. Sandra boham is the president of salish cannot i college, a Tribal College and university at tcu located in montana after serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs. Sh she has more than two decades of experience working in Higher Education both in montana and california. Dr. Boham is an enrolled measuremented of kfrtd sal iesh cannot i traps of flat head indian reservation. She earned her doctorate of education from the university of montana holds a masters of education from montana State University, and a bachelor of arts in sociology from the the university of montana. Again, welcome to you all. We appreciate all the witnesses for being here for you all being here and certainly look forward to your testimony. I just wanted to remind you we have read your written statements. And any will appear in full in the hearing record. Pursuant to Committee Rule 7 d and Committee Practice each of you is asked to limit your oral presentation to a fiveminute summary of your written statement. I also wanted to remind that you pursuant to title 18 of the u. S. Code, section 1001 it is illegally to knowingly and willfully falseny any statement representation, document or material fact presented to congress or otherwise conceal or coverup a material fact. Before you begin your testimony, please remember to press the button on the microphone in front of you so that it will turn on we all can hear you. As you begin to speak, the light in fibrin of you will turn grown and after four minutes the light turnsual to signal you have one remaining minute. And when the light turns red your five minutes expired and we will ask you to please wrap up. We will let the entire panel make the presentations before we move to member questions and when answering a question please remember to once again turn your microphone on. First to recognize is dr. Verret. Thank you. Thank you subcommittee chair woman susanne davis. Ranking member Lloyd Smucker and member of the subcommittee thank you for the tune to address you. If my name is Reynold Verret i sevgd as the sixth president of the Xavier University of lava sound i sund toed i catherine direction. My institution is catholic and also an hb uc historically black college rich the its to credibility to just and ewe main society. The preparation takes place in Diverse Learning Environments that incorporate all relevant learning means. Including Research Experiences and community service. I was asked to testify before the subcommittee today on the institution as an engine of economic mobility and the programs that demonstrate this at the institution. Are how these programs prepare students for careers and a brief history of hbcus, why they are created, why they are important. Hbcus were created as early as 1837 to provide africanamericans access to Higher Education. Noted for contributions to educating black, low income and educationally disadvantage americans, 101 hbcus stoo today constitute the hbcu as defined by the Higher Education act of 1965. In my home state according to Economic Impact study by the United College fund, the impact of the six hbcus in the state on the recentlile economy and employment act of 8454 jobs. A doelts economic g