College for All Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill creates a federal-state partnership to eliminate tuition and required fees at all public community colleges for all eligible students regardless of income, and at public four-year universities for students from families earning up to $300,000 (or $150,000 for single/independent filers). The federal government covers 100% of costs in the first year, gradually shifting to an 80/20 federal-state split by year five.
• The maximum Federal Pell Grant nearly doubles to $14,790 for students at eligible institutions, with annual cost-of-living adjustments going forward. Pell Grant funds can now be used for living expenses, not just tuition. The bill also makes Pell Grant income fully tax-free.
• Undocumented students who came to the U.S. as children ("Dreamers"), DACA recipients, and those with Temporary Protected Status become eligible for Pell Grants and tuition-free college. The bill explicitly states eligible students include individuals "regardless of age or immigration status."
• Private nonprofit HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions receive federal grants to eliminate tuition for eligible students, with per-student funding of $11,610 at four-year schools and $5,110 at two-year schools. Annual institutional funding for these schools doubles from $255 million to $510 million.
• States must maintain their higher education spending levels and ensure that at least 75% of instruction at public colleges is provided by tenure-track or tenured faculty within five years. Schools must also maintain a 1-to-150 ratio of disability services staff to registered students with disabilities.
• The bill authorizes $10 billion for Student Success Grants that fund evidence-based programs like mental health counseling, academic advising, tutoring, and smaller class sizes, with priority given to helping students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities, and first-generation college students.