A Big Plan, but Will Biden Get the Votes?
Alexis Gravely
April 29, 2021
Reactions in higher education to President Biden’s proposal for tuition-free community college, increased Pell Grants and tuition aid for students at minority-serving institutions have been largely positive, but the plan won’t be easy to get through Congress.
President Biden is calling on Congress to fund a $109 billion program for tuition-free community college, an initiative that has gained support in recent years but still isn’t a guaranteed legislative victory.
The administration’s American Families Plan unveiled Wednesday proposes billions of dollars in higher education investments that would increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $1,400, provide two years of subsidized tuition to historically Black colleges and other minority-serving institutions for students from families who earn less than $125,000, and create a grant program to fund student success services at colleges that serve a high number of low-income students. All together, spending would top $250 million.
