House, Senate Introduce Bill to Lower Cost of Community College

House, Senate Introduce Bill to Lower Cost of Community College

WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the America's College Promise Act of 2026. The bill would make community college and two-year Tribal Colleges and Universities more accessible by waiving tuition fees for eligible students.

"Community colleges play a unique and vital role in providing students access to a quality postsecondary degree. Regrettably, the chronic underfunding of community colleges is jeopardizing their ability to support their students and communities," said Ranking Member Scott (D-VA-03). "The America's College Promise Act is a major investment in expanding opportunities for students and rebuilding a stronger economy."

"Students in Southern Arizona and throughout the country should not have to take on tens of thousands of dollars of debt to get a college education," said Representative Grijalva. "The America's College Promise Act will provide two years of free in-state tuition and fees for students enrolled in community and technical college programs. Whether they're just starting out or returning to the classroom later in life, every student deserves the opportunity to learn new skills and pursue higher education. By expanding access to education and workforce training, we're strengthening the workforce that businesses and local economies depend on."

"In New Mexico, we know free community college can unlock the doors to a brighter future. The America's College Promise Act builds on New Mexico's example by making sure students across the country can attend community college without the burden of tuition and fees," said Representative Leger Fernández. "Our bill will provide funds for services students need to earn their degrees and reduce the financial burden for low-income students to attend TCUs, HBCUs, and MSIs. From recent high school graduates to experienced workers who want to go back to school - every student deserves the opportunity to keep learning without the fear of drowning in debt."

"As a professor, it was a privilege to witness students claim their education and seize their futures - yet the real fear and burden of immense student loan debt often deters young adults and returning students from expanding their learning," said Representative Dean. "The America's College Promise Act provides tuition-free community college courses and expands funding for HBCUs and trade schools, making the path to higher education and career readiness available to more Americans and future generations."

"Every Wisconsinite deserves the opportunity to get the education and skills they need to land a good-paying job and build a better life, no matter where they come from or how much money their family makes," said Senator Baldwin. "But for too many working families, the rising cost of higher education leaves students saddled with debt for years to come, or it is simply out of reach. That's why I am proud to work with my colleagues to remove barriers and lower the cost of community college, so more Wisconsinites have the opportunity to compete, succeed, and live a good middle-class life."

The America's College Promise Act of 2026 will make the skills and credentials necessary to succeed in the workforce more accessible to all students by creating a new federal-state partnership to provide two years of tuition-free community college.

Specifically, the America's College Promise Act of 2026:

• Creates a partnership between the federal government and states to waive tuition and fees for two years of community and technical college programs for eligible students, while promoting key reforms to accelerate student success;
• Creates a sliding scale for federal share beginning at 100 percent for the first year and ending at 80 percent for the fifth and subsequent years;
• Ensures that programs offer academic credits that are transferable to four-year institutions in their state, or occupational training that leads to recognized credentials;
• Maintains and encourages state funding for higher education;
• Establishes a student success fund to improve enrollment, retention, transfer, or completion rates and labor market outcomes for underserved student populations, including students of color and low-income and first-generation college students, who attend community and technical colleges at disproportionate rates;
• Waives two years of tuition and fees for eligible students at tribal colleges and universities; and
• Establishes a new grant program to provide pathways to success at historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions by covering a significant portion of tuition and fees for the first two years of attendance for low-income students.

To read the bill text for the America's College Promise Act of 2026, click here.

To read the fact sheet for America's College Promise Act of 2026, click here.

To read the section-by-section for America's College Promise Act of 2026, click here.

###

Press Contact

Democratic Press Office, 202-226-0853