# College for All Act of 2021

This bill would create a federal-state partnership to make community college and certain four-year public universities tuition-free for eligible students. The federal government would cover most of the cost, while states would contribute a portion of the funding needed.

Here's how it would work in practice: If you attend a community college in your state, your tuition and required fees would be completely covered under this program, regardless of your income level. If you're attending a four-year public university and your family income falls into what the bill defines as "working class or middle class," your tuition and required fees would also be covered. The bill also extends these benefits to tribal colleges and universities. The federal government would pay for about 75 percent of the costs, while states would need to contribute about 25 percent from their own budgets. For tribal colleges serving mostly low-income students, the federal share would be even higher—covering about 95 percent of costs.

The bill includes an "automatic stabilizer" that would kick in during economic downturns. If unemployment rises significantly or the job market weakens, states would only need to contribute 10 percent instead of 25 percent, with the federal government covering 90 percent. This means the program would provide extra support to students during recessions when families are struggling most. The bill also encourages states to maintain or expand existing "College Promise" programs that already offer tuition-free education in some communities.

College for All Act of 2021

Jayapal, Pramila

College for All Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to expand access to higher education, including by eliminating tuition and required fees for eligible students, revising the Federal Pell Grant program, and reauthorizing certain programs to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Specifically, the bill provides funding to eliminate tuition and required fees for (1) all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities; (2) working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education (IHEs) and tribal colleges and universities; and (3) eligible students at private, nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions. The bill permanently reauthorizes and otherwise revises the Federal Pell Grant program by <ul> <li>providing funding to increase the maximum award for each eligible student,</li> <li>increasing the duration limit for the use of Pell Grants, and</li> <li>allowing students to use their awards to cover living and non-tuition expenses. </li> </ul> Next, the bill makes Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) who entered the United States before the age of 16 and who meet certain educational criteria eligible for federal financial aid. Further, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to underfunded IHEs, HBCUs, and minority-serving institutions for investing in support programs to improve student outcomes (e.g., graduation rates). The bill also reauthorizes through FY2031 the Federal TRIO Programs and reauthorizes through FY2025 the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.