S. 5665 · 119th Congress
America’s College Promise Act of 2026
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D
BaldwinSponsor6 cosponsors · 6 D
6 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill provides funding and establishes grant programs to expand access to higher education, including by providing free community college to students.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Sep 30, 2026
America's College Promise Act of 2026
This bill provides funding and establishes grant programs to expand access to higher education, including by providing free community college to students.
Specifically, the bill establishes a program to waive resident tuition and fees for community college students. The Department of Education (ED) must award grants to states and tribal colleges and universities to pay the federal share of the program.
As a condition of receiving such a grant, a state must (1) submit a plan to align the requirements for receiving a regular high school diploma with the requirements for entering credit-bearing coursework at community colleges; and (2) submit a plan to improve transfer pathways between institutions of higher education (IHEs), including by ensuring that associate degrees awarded by community colleges are fully transferable to four-year IHEs.
Next, the bill directs ED to award grants to states and tribal colleges and universities for implementing evidence-based institutional reforms and innovative practices to improve student outcomes.
In addition, ED must award grants to participating historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions to waive or significantly reduce the first 60 credits of tuition and fees for low-income students.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: America’s College Promise Act of 2026
Latest action (Sep 30, 2026): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Policy area: Education · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Sep 30, 2026
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.