Free community college is back in President Biden’s budget. Although Congress is unlikely to support the full $90 billion, experts hope for a smaller budget item to provide free programs for about 90,000 students a year. In addition to the $90 billion item, the administration’s plan to make college more affordable includes an $820 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award; $30 billion for tuition stipends for eligible students at four-year historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, or minority-serving institutions; and $500 million to lay the groundwork for the larger free community college program.
