{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://schweikert.house.gov/2023/09/21/schweikert-lee-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-bill-to-bolster-workforce-improve-college-affordability/", "Schweikert, Lee, Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Bolster Workforce, Improve College Affordability", "2023-09-21", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "David Schweikert", "S001183", "schweikert.house.gov", "schweikert", "https://schweikert.house.gov/category/congress_press_release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Representatives David Schweikert (AZ-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Earn to Learn Act, legislation to establish a matched-savings scholarship program for low-income students to save for their college education while providing financial training skills to help prepare them to succeed in today\u2019s evolving workforce.\n\nModeled after the successful Earn to Learn program in Arizona, the bill is designed to help qualifying students pay for tuition, books, fees, and other education-related expenses. If enacted, the legislation will create an estimated 250,000 college scholarships in the first five years.\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT).\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased to reintroduce the bipartisan Earn to Learn Act to provide Arizona students with the ability to save for their college education, develop sound financial literacy, and put them on track to not only graduate, but secure a job in their chosen field,\u201d said Rep. Schweikert. \u201cOver the last decade, Arizona has proven to be a national leader in promoting programs that provide critical resources to students who need them most. Taking Earn to Learn nationwide helps expand access to higher education, address our country\u2019s labor shortage, and ultimately grow the economy by making society more productive.\u201d\n\n\u201cEducation is the key to opportunity. As a lifelong education advocate, I\u2019ve seen that firsthand and I know how unbalanced the scales can be tipped,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cLike a lot of folks, I was only able to pay for school with the help of scholarships, loans, and a number of part-time jobs. Unfortunately, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed in recent decades, and it\u2019s beyond cost-prohibitive for far too many American families. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to join Congressman Schweikert in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Earn to Learn Act. This commonsense bill will build a national matched savings program to help families save and ensure that every student has the opportunity to pursue the education that will help them reach their dreams.\u201d\n\n\u201cEarn to Learn is an Arizona success story. Not only has this program helped thousands of low-income students get a quality education and graduate without going deep into debt\u2014our economy has benefitted enormously from a more educated workforce,\u201d said Rep. Stanton. \u201cOur bipartisan Learn to Earn Act applies this proven program at the federal level, helping make college a reality for students of all backgrounds nationwide.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a community college alumni and Pell Grant recipient, I know firsthand how life-changing access to higher education can be,\u201d said Rep. Ciscomani. \u201cEarn to Learn has a proven track record in Arizona, equipping students who need it most with the resources they need to succeed. With our country experiencing a worsening labor shortage, it\u2019s time to take this matched-savings program nationally and help students finance their education, develop sound financial literacy, and gain valuable skills to improve the nation\u2019s labor force. I\u2019m pleased to join Representatives Lee, Schweikert, and Stanton in introducing the bipartisan Earn to Learn Act to reduce student loan debt and make college more affordable.\u201d\n\nWhat Arizona Leaders are saying:\n\n\u201cEarn to Learn has been uplifting underserved Arizona students to reach their dreams though a college education for over a decade,\u201d said Kate Hoffman, Founder & CEO, Earn to Learn. \u201cI commend the bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators on their efforts to generate economic opportunity across the country by expanding this innovative program to students across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cEmployers are starved for trained workers, especially in the high-skill industries so critical to the U.S. economy,\u201d said Danny Seiden, President & CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. \u201cThe Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry supports programs like Earn to Learn that increase accessibility to higher education opportunities for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cWorkforce development is a primary concern for employers of all sizes,\u201d said Todd Sanders, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber. \u201cThe Greater Phoenix Chamber is pleased to support the Earn to Learn Act because it promises to help employers find the trained workforce they need, while tearing down many of the financial barriers that prevent individuals from pursuing a college education or vocational training.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor over a decade, Earn to Learn has been making college dreams a reality for Arizona low-income students,\u201d said Neil Giuliano, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Leadership. \u201cGreater Phoenix Leadership looks forward to seeing this proven model expanded nationwide via the Earn to Learn Act \u2013 helping students gain the education they need and employers find the qualified workforce our economy requires.\u201d\n\n\u201cExpanding access to higher education is central to our mission at Arizona State University, and the national expansion of the Earn to Learn Act will improve access for students from all backgrounds across the country,\u201d said Kent Hopkins, Vice President for Academic Enterprise Enrollment, Arizona State University. \u201cThis innovative program will pay dividends not only for students, but also for our broader economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Earn to Learn program has provided Arizona students with a unique way to save for their college education, plan for their future and be able to attend world class universities like the University of Arizona,\u201d said Kasey Urqu\u00eddez, Vice President \u2013 Enrollment Management, University of Arizona. \u201cIncreased college access is vital, and we believe Earn to Learn can be a model to follow for the rest of the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Arizona Community Foundation understands the importance of quality education for all,\u201d said Anna Mar\u00eda Ch\u00e1vez, President & CEO, Arizona Community Foundation. \u201cAs an early supporter of Earn to Learn in Arizona, we have been proud to support Earn to Learn\u2019s successful model that has reduced student borrowing and improved graduation rates and college access. The Earn to Learn Act has the power to achieve these same benefits on a national scale.\u201d\n\n\u201cNorthern Arizona boasts a diverse, fast-growing economy that is driving demand for trained workers,\u201d said T. Paul Thomas, CEO, Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance. \u201cThe Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance supports the Earn to Learn Act because it will both improve college affordability and help employers access the skilled workforce they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of bipartisanship in Congress these days, but the Earn to Learn Act is a shining exception,\u201d said Paul Hickman, President & CEO, Arizona Bankers Association. \u201cThe Arizona Bankers Association is proud to support this bipartisan effort to ensure students not only can access a college education, but graduate with little or no tuition debt and armed with the money-management skills they\u2019ll need to be responsible consumers.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll Arizona students deserve to have opportunities to succeed,\u201d said Jeff Guldner, CEO, Arizona Public Service (APS). \u201cWe are longtime supporters of Earn to Learn and its initiatives that help more Arizonans graduate from college. This isn\u2019t a nice-to-have. It\u2019s a must-have. With more college graduates, Arizona is better positioned to support the economic growth and stability we all want.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Earn to Learn Act is a creative solution to make postsecondary education and job training affordable and accessible to underserved communities,\u201d said Michael Guymon, President & CEO, Tucson Metro Chamber. \u201cThe Tucson Metro Chamber is a strong supporter of this Act and firmly believes that greater access to education is the cornerstone to any community\u2019s success and increases employer\u2019s ability to find and hire local talent.\u201d\n\n\u201cTuition and related costs are a significant barrier for many Hispanic students and help explain lagging college attainment rates among students of color across the country,\u201d said Karla Bernal Morales, Chairwoman, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThe Earn to Learn Act will make a real difference for low and middle-income students of all backgrounds, helping them access the post-secondary education they need to advance.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Earn to Learn program empowers underserved students to achieve a college education without going into debt,\u201d said Marcy Euler, President & CEO, Pima Community College Foundation, Inc. \u201cThey will also take with them the financial literary skills learned in the program long after they graduated. Pima Community College is excited to partner with Earn to Learn to benefit our own students, and we support making this scholarship available to other colleges.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Earn to Learn Act will help children from lower-income families overcome barriers that might keep them from attending college, just as this program has been doing in Arizona for a decade,\u201d said Susan Gray, President & CEO, Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services. \u201cOur companies strongly support Earn to Learn through Board participation, financial donations and volunteerism. We anticipate great success when this innovative program expands nationwide.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder the Act, Earn to Learn scholars \u2013 who must be Pell-eligible \u2013 contribute to their own education by setting aside up to $500 per year. In return, they receive up to $4,000 per year in financial assistance \u2013 an 8-to-1 match \u2013 to attend a participating college, university or career and technical school of their choice.\n\nIn Arizona, 80-85% of Earn to Learn scholars have a first-year retention rate that approaches 90%, and 80-85% graduate within six years. Nearly 2 out of 3 Earn to Learn participants are the first in their family to attend college.\n\nReps. Schweikert and Lee previously introduced the Earn to Learn Act in the 117th Congress.\n\nThe full bill text is available here.\n\nBack to News", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://schweikert.house.gov/2023/09/21/schweikert-lee-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-bill-to-bolster-workforce-improve-college-affordability/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9597749449312687, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}