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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 21
BY REPRESENTATIVE DIXON
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Board of Regents, in consultation with the Board of Supervisors of
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of
Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, the Board of Supervisors of
Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the Board of
Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges, to study the feasibility of
implementing a college tuition program that would allow students to pay tuition after
leaving college and to submit a written report of findings and conclusions, including
any recommendations for legislation relative to the issue, to the House Committee
on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than sixty days prior
to the beginning of the 2015 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, good jobs increasingly require workers with postsecondary education,
and the nation's economic growth depends on developing a workforce ready for 21st century
jobs in the global economy; and
WHEREAS, long-term declines in state higher education funding and more recent
severe budget cuts are pushing college out of reach for middle class and low-income
students; and
WHEREAS, "Pay It Forward", a proposal from the Economic Opportunity Institute,
provides a potential remedy to this problem; and
WHEREAS, under the "Pay It Forward" plan, students attend college with no upfront
tuition and fees, and instead contribute a small, fixed-percentage of their income after
college; and
WHEREAS, under the plan, contributions are placed in a public higher education
trust fund that funds education for the next generation of students, giving each new cohort
the same opportunity to attend college; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 21
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WHEREAS, over time, the trust fund becomes entirely self-replenishing and allows
for more and more students to participate in the plan, and by linking contributions to
students' incomes, the plan allows graduates to choose work based on their interests and
skills, rather than solely on the prospect of higher incomes; and
WHEREAS, "Pay It Forward" can be implemented in conjunction with other forms
of federal, state, local, and private financial aid; and
WHEREAS, several states are exploring "Pay It Forward" programs, including
Oregon, where lawmakers recently voted to create a commission to study the plan in detail.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Board of Regents, in consultation with the Board of Supervisors of
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of
Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, the Board of Supervisors of Southern
University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the Board of Supervisors of
Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges, to study the feasibility of implementing a
college tuition program that would allow students to pay tuition after leaving college and to
submit a written report of findings and conclusions, including any recommendations for
legislation relative to the issue, to the House Committee on Education and the Senate
Committee on Education not later than sixty days prior to the beginning of the 2015 Regular
Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the commissioner of higher education and the presidents of Louisiana State University,
University of Louisiana, Southern University, and the Louisiana Community and Technical
College systems.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE