Our Letter To Congress Supporting the Promoting Advancement for Transit Help (PATH) to College Act

January 21, 2022

Dear Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves,

We are writing to express our strong support for the Promoting Advancement for Transit Help (PATH) to College Act, introduced by Representative Lamb (D-PA), Representative Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Representative Wilson (D-FL), and Representative Katko (R-NY) which would create grants for public transit providers in collaboration with eligible institutions of higher education to increase access to public transportation for college students.

The Biden Administration has shared that approximately 40 percent of Americans lack access to affordable public transportation. Additionally, according to research published by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, only 57 percent of community colleges are within walking distance of public transportation.^[1] Student parents, working students, and low-income students are more likely to attend community and technical colleges, and 99 percent of students attending community college live off campus. On average, community college students spend $1840 on public transportation per year.^[2]

The PATH to College Act would help increase access to affordable and reliable public transportation at community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges, and other minority serving institutions. Since the legislation, when passed, would result in a greater number of public transportation stops within walking distance of colleges and universities, it would increase the frequency of service and adjust the times of public transportation to better align with class schedules; it would also help low-income college students pay for the cost of public transportation for students, which we know can be a barrier to college persistence and completion.

We urge you to support the PATH to College Act and continue to look for other ways to increase access to public transportation to today’s students.

Sincerely,

Association of Community College Trustees Association of Young Americans (AYA)
College Promise – Washington, DC
Generation Hope
Higher Learning Advocates
Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
National College Attainment Network
New America Higher Education Program
State Higher Education Executive Officers Association Student Basic Needs Coalition
Student Veterans of America
The Education Trust
The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
uAspire
UPCEA
Veterans Education Success