This statement to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce discusses the state of American higher education and the importance of community colleges in providing access. The author presents specific examples from her vantage point as President of Howard Community College (Maryland). She calls the two-year institution the "Ellis Island" of higher education, enrolling almost 50% of the minority population of undergraduate students as well as part-time and older students. However, the persistence gap between less affluent and more affluent students has widened over time. The need-based programs in Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) can fill this gap. The HEA has proven extremely effective in providing financing to students and families who need resources to attend college. The author praises America's higher education system as being the best in the world. Community colleges enroll 44% of all undergraduates, provide job training to millions (including 65% of new healthcare workers), and offer lower tuitions than four-year institutions. Federal and state aid has a direct impact on tuition and student ability to attend college. In addition, college preparation and academic rigor in the K-12 system will help ease the community college's burden of providing remedial education to under-prepared students. (Author/EMH)