Department of Education

FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Proposal

CONTENTS

Page

Summary of Request ................................................................................................................ S-1

Activities:

Free Community College...................................................................................................... S-2

Advancing Affordability for Students..................................................................................... S-4
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

S-1

S-1

Summary of Request

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2022 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET

(in thousands of dollars)

Cat Code

2020

Appropriation

2021

Appropriation

2022

Request

2022 Request Compared to

2021 Appropriation

Amount Percent

1. Free Community College (proposed legislation) M 0 0 14,312,447 14,312,447 ---

2. Institutional Aid to Improve Affordability (proposed legislation) M 0 0 4,640,778 4,640,778 ---

Total M 0 0 18,953,225 18,953,225 ---

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

Free Community College

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FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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Free Community College

(Proposed legislation)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined

Mandatory Budget Authority:

2021 2022 Change from 2021 to 2022

$0 $14,312,447 +$14,312,447

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Early in the 20th century, the expansion of access to free public high school in the United States 

set a new global standard. Direct public investment in our children’s future propelled U.S. 

economic growth and enhanced our global competitiveness. Now, mounting evidence suggests 

that 13 years of school is no longer sufficient to prepare our students for success in today’s 

economy. Research tells us that we must invest early to support our children’s development and 

readiness for academic success; our transforming economy requires that we provide every 

student the opportunity to obtain a postsecondary degree or certificate. The number of jobs 

requiring some level of higher education is expected to grow more rapidly in the next decade 

than those that do not. 

The Administration’s Free Community College plan will offer two years of free community 

college to students, including DREAMers. The COVID-19 crisis has led to a steep college 

enrollment decline, particularly for low-income students and students of color. From 2019 to

2020, public 2-year community colleges saw a 10.1 percent decline in enrollment. But even 

before the COVID-19 pandemic, cost remained a barrier to attending and completing community 

college for many Americans. 

Free Community College is a proposed mandatory grant program for States, territories, and 

Tribes to make community colleges free for eligible students. This proposal will ensure that firsttime students and workers wanting to reskill can enroll in a community college to earn a degree 

or credential for free. Students enrolled in a degree or certificate program, attending at least 

half-time, and making satisfactory academic progress will have tuition and fees eliminated. 

Students can use the benefit over three years and, if circumstances warrant, up to four years, 

with the recognition that many students’ lives and other responsibilities can make full-time 

enrollment difficult. 

This proposal would create a new partnership with States to help them waive tuition for 

students, while promoting key reforms to help more students complete at least two years of 

college and help meet the demands of a growing global economy. To participate in the 

program, a State (including territories) or Tribe must waive tuition and fees at community 
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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colleges on a first dollar basis for eligible students. The federal government will provide at least 

75 percent of the cost, and 90 percent for Tribes. States and Tribes must invest the remaining 

share of the cost. States receiving a grant must promote alignment between their secondary, 2-

year, and 4-year postsecondary education systems. States must also pursue promising and 

evidence-based institutional reforms at community colleges to improve student outcomes. 

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2022, the Administration requests $14.3 billion in mandatory budget authority to 

support Free Community College The proposal would cost $108.5 billion in mandatory outlays 

over 10 years. This investment is part of the President’s American Families Plan to expand 

access to affordable postsecondary education, laying the groundwork for innovation and 

inclusive economic growth for all Americans. Funds are provided to create a new partnership 

with States, territories, and Tribes to make two years of community college free for first-time 

students and workers wanting to reskill. The program would operate as a first-dollar program, in 

order to allow students to use Pell Grants and other federal, State, and institutional aid to help 

them cover expenses beyond tuition and fees. Students can use the benefit over three years 

and, if circumstances warrant, up to four years, recognizing that many students' lives and other 

responsibilities can make full-time enrollment difficult. If all States, territories, and Tribes 

participate, about 5.5 million students would pay $0 in tuition and fees.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of results is based on the 

cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal year 

2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program. Free Community College has not yet been funded and therefore program performance 

information is not available.
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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Advancing Affordability for Students

(Proposed legislation)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2022 Authorization: To be determined

Mandatory Budget Authority:

2021 2022 Change from 

2021 to 2022

$0 $4,640,778 $4,640,778

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs),

and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) such as Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and Asian 

American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs) play a unique 

role in creating and advancing educational opportunities for many of our nation’s firstgeneration, low-income, and underrepresented students. Their role is essential to building our 

economy and strengthening the American middle class. The Administration’s Advancing 

Affordability for Students program will make a historic investment in HBCU, TCCU, and MSI 

affordability. Specifically, it will provide two years of subsidized tuition for students from families 

earning less than $125,000 enrolled in a 4-year HBCU, TCCU, or MSI. Institutions that apply 

will receive an annual grant based on the cost of reducing tuition and fees and the number of 

eligible students. This investment will encourage more students to successfully complete a 

bachelor’s degree by enrolling as new students (direct pathways) or transferring from 

community college (transfer pathways). 

Public and private 4-year institutions can participate in this program. To be eligible, an institution 

must meet the statutory definition of an HBCU, TCCU, and MSI and must be designated by the 

Secretary as such. An eligible institution would also need to serve a significant share of Pell

students (at least 35 percent share of enrollment) and commit to maintaining or adopting 

evidence-based institutional reforms designed to improve student outcomes. 

Eligible students are those who are enrolled at an eligible HBCU, TCCU, or MSI on at least a 

half-time basis, who maintain satisfactory academic progress, and who have an annual family 

income below $125,000, including DREAMers. 

FY 2022 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2022, the Administration requests $4.6 billion in mandatory budget authority to 

support Advancing Affordability for Students. The proposal would cost $39 billion in mandatory 

outlays over 10 years. This investment is part of the President’s American Families Plan to 

expand access to affordable postsecondary education, laying the groundwork for innovation and 
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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inclusive economic growth for all Americans. Funds are provided to eligible 4-year HBCUs, 

TCUs, or MSIs to provide two years of subsidized tuition for students from families earning less 

than $125,000. The program would operate as a first-dollar program, in order to allow students 

to use Pell Grants and other federal, State, and institutional aid to help them cover expenses 

beyond tuition and fees.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, GPRA 

goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of the 

progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of results is based on the 

cumulative effect of the resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal year 

2022 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by this 

program. Advancing Affordability for Students has not yet been funded and therefore program 

performance information is not available.