Education

Education will fuel our economic job growth and prosperity for the future. If we do not invest in human capital and job training in this country, including education from pre-school through graduate school and lifelong learning, we place our nation’s foundation at risk. National leaders like Alan Greenspan have urged Congress to do it as soon as possible!

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, Rep. Rubén Hinojosa has fought to improve accessibility and affordability in higher education. In 2008, Rep. Hinojosa worked with Chairman George Miller and other Members of Congress to pass H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. In particular, Rep. Hinojosa spearheaded efforts to expand and enhance post-baccalaureate opportunities at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including a new program for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Rep. Hinojosa also championed increased college aid and support for veterans and military familiesThere is a tremendous earning differential based on education. On average, high school graduates earn $1.2 million over a lifetime of labor; college graduates with a bachelor’s degree earn $2.1 million; those with master’s degrees, $2.5 million; doctorate degrees, $3.4 million; and professional degrees, such as law, medicine, or architecture --$4.4 million.

Hinojosa is committed to providing a powerful voice for the aspirations of communities traditionally left behind in America’s education system – low-income families, minorities, students with disabilities, English language learners, and the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. He continues to fight for significant increases in education funding targeted at these communities and has proposed a new initiative to dramatically improve high school graduation rates.

As the new Chairman of the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness Subcommittee, Hinojosa works to ensure that the education pipeline is strong enough and wide enough to ensure that no community is left behind in the knowledge-driven economy of the 21st Century.

Click here to learn more about the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.