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Tim Bishop is a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. BIshop is a participant in the Subcommittee on Workforce Protection and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. The Committee on Education and the Workforce, since it's time of inception in 1867, has undergone a number of changes. The name of the committee has been changed 5 times, and at one point the committee was divided into 2 separate committees, one on education and the other focussing on labour. The 111th Committee membership was headed by Republican John Kline, with the members being split, 19 Republicans, and 30 Democrats.

There was a struggle in the early days of Congress to get this committee started because of the reluctance to give federal jurisdiction over education, which was seen as a state priority. Today, this mentality continues. In the budget proposal for 2012, Chairman of the Committee, John Kline wrote that "the committee believes the federal government should reduce its interference in the day-to-day operations of our schools..." According to the Chairman of this committee, it would be in the best interest of everyone if the states were left to handle education. He believes in giving them more room with which to allocate where funds may be spent.

The allocation of funds is particularly concerning to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. On Wednesday July 18, 2012, this Subcommittee began it's hearing entitled "Keeping College Within Reach: Exploring State Efforts to Curb Costs." The affect of giving states more discretion in the way they allocate funds to educational programs can be seen in the different programs set up by states to deal with tuition costs. "Pay for performance" measures put in place by Pennsylvania and Indiana are examples of these programs. What this does is it "set[s] aside a certain percentage of funds for higher education pro- grams with the best retention, completion, and placement rates." The result of this program means colleges have incentive to raise the bar on educational objectives, but this also allows the tax payer to see that their money is being spent wisely. Another example is Minnesota and Vermont have put in place prior learning assessments. This allows colleges to "determine whether the knowledge a student has obtained through previous education and work experience merits college credit." A program like this allows people who have been in the workforce to gain credit due to experience, possible instigating the ability to return to school.

Due to the increase in tuition, and the problems it is causing with student debt, the Committee on Education and the Workforce is highly critical of "budget gimmicks that have masked the cost of federal student loan programs." Therefore, this Committee is working hard to increase "education opportunities for students, by making it easier to send young adults to college." Being a member of this Committee aligns with Bishop's platform on education. Bishop "is recognized as one of the strongest advocates in Congress for college access and affordability." The need to reform college tuition is critical to many Americans, and Bishop is working to make a difference.