Debt-Free College Act reintroduced

Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i) have reintroduced the Debt-Free College Act, a legislation that, if approved, and as the name says, will make debt-free colleges available to students in the US.

This bicameral legislation was first introduced in 2018 and reintroduced also in 2019. It was the first bill to transcend free tuition.

The act would form a partnership between states and the federal government for the states to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal match for their higher education appropriations in return for assisting students pay for the full educational cost without having to take any debt.

In the Senate, the bill is co-sponsored by eight senators, all Democrats. In the House, 17 representatives, understandably all Democrats, co-sponsored the legislation. The act is also endorsed by seven local, state and national organizations.

Congressman Pocan said, “Every student in America deserves the opportunity to get a college education without being crushed for years by student debt.”

He added, “The Debt-Free College Act creates a critical federal-state partnership that would make debt-free college a reality for students within five years. Student debt isn’t just tuition—it’s books, housing, supplies and food, and this bill reflects the reality of those costs. If we truly believe in the value of our education system, then we should be making it easier for students to pursue higher education, not financially impossible. This bill is an integral first step to ensure that college is accessible to every person in this country.”

Senator Schatz commented, “If we are going to be serious about solving the student loan debt crisis, we need to focus on the real cost to students and their families – and that includes books, room and board, and supplies. Our bill brings states back to the table and leverages federal dollars to reinvest in public education, and help people cover the full cost of college.”

A day earlier, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) reintroduced the College for All Act, a bill that, if passed, will “make the most substantial federal investment in higher education in the modern history” of the US.

The legislation has been introduced in the previous three congresses as well, with Senator Sanders introducing it in the Senate all three times and Congresswoman Jayapal in the House the last two congresses. In the third last congress, the act was introduced in the House by Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL-9).

“The legislation if passed would guarantee tuition-free community college for all students, and allow students from families earning under $125,000 a year to attend public colleges and universities tuition-free and debt-free,” said a press release by the office of Senator Sanders. “It would also guarantee students from families earning under $125,000 a year can attend tuition-free and debt-free public and private, non-profit Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, and other Minority-Serving Institutions.”