H.R. 3543: College for All Act of 2025

Summary: This bill would establish a federal-state partnership to eliminate tuition and required fees at all community colleges, two-year tribal colleges and universities, and for eligible students at public four-year institutions of higher education and private nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities; double the maximum Pell Grant award; allow Pell usage for living and non-tuition expenses; establish a $10 billion grant program to improve student outcomes at eligible institutions; and increase select funding by a factor of two or three. Pell Grants would be made mandatory spending, add annual inflation adjustments, increase lifetime eligibility to 7.5 years, be exempted from being taxed as income, and would be expanded to include Dreamers and students with other immigration statuses.

Background: This is the sixth Congress this bill has been introduced in. First introduced in 2015 by Senator Sanders (I-VT). Introduced in this Senate by Sen. Sanders as S. 1832, co-sponsored by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). Expands higher education access by making public colleges and universities tuition-free.

Organizations in Support: American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employee, American Federation of Teachers, NAACP, National Consumer Law Center, National Education Association, Service Employees International Union, United Farm Workers, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, American Association of University Professors, Modern Language Association

Recommendation: Support. College and university should be free, especially for the current 43 million Americans who have student loan debt and the future generations who will benefit from the increased opportunities.