HR 10672: America’s College Promise Act of 2026

HR 10672 in plain English: This bill would make tuition and fees $0 for eligible students at community colleges and Tribal Colleges or Universities, through a federal grant program that partners with states. It appropriates $1 billion per year in mandatory funding starting in fiscal year 2027, plus additional phased appropriations beginning at $98.1 million in 2027 and rising to approximately $2.5 billion annually by fiscal year 2036.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to create federal grants that make community colleges tuition-free for eligible students, with additional grants to support student success and to provide funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions.

Key points

• Sets tuition and fees to $0 for eligible students at community colleges and Tribal Colleges or Universities
• Provides $1,000,000,000 per year in mandatory federal funding starting in fiscal year 2027
• Includes additional appropriations rising from $98,100,000 in 2027 to $2,521,990,000 in fiscal year 2036 and beyond
• States must partner with the federal government to cover the cost of zeroing out tuition; federal share covers 100% for Tribal Colleges
• Prohibits reducing other financial assistance to students because tuition and fees have been set to $0

Arguments supporters make

• Making community college free removes a major financial barrier, giving more people — especially lower-income Americans — access to education and job training they could not otherwise afford.
• Investing in community colleges and minority-serving institutions helps close longstanding gaps in educational opportunity for underrepresented groups.
• A federal-state cost-sharing structure encourages states to stay invested in their own higher education systems while spreading the financial burden.

Arguments opponents make

• The federal government would cover 100% of costs in the first year, and even at its lowest share the ongoing federal expense could be very large, raising concerns about the long-term cost to taxpayers.
• States may resist or be unable to afford their share as it rises to 20%, potentially causing some states to opt out and leaving the program unevenly available across the country.
• Free tuition does not address other costs of college — such as housing, food, books, and transportation — that also prevent students from completing their degrees, so the benefit may be smaller than it appears.

Tradeoffs

The bill shifts significant education costs from students and states to the federal government in the early years, with states gradually taking on more responsibility; the tension is between making college broadly accessible now and the sustained federal and state spending required to keep it free over time.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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