40. Design equity-driven free college programs.

Here’s what the federal government can do:

• Congress should provide matching funds for state-run, equity-driven free college programs that include components such as:
  • Covering the full cost of attendance for students with lower incomes, including tuition, fees, living expenses, and financial safety net packages with allowable uses for books, course learning materials, and transfer withholdings.
  • Covering at least tuition for all students attending public colleges and universities.
  • Including four-year colleges and universities, HBCUs, and TCUs.
  • Providing aid to support students earning bachelor’s degrees.
  • Eliminating criteria for financial aid that limit eligibility for part-time students, adult students, students who do not meet satisfactory grade point average (GPA) requirements (typically a 2.0), and students who need to take time off to pursue workforce opportunities.
  • Allowing for aid to remain as grants and not converted to loans requiring repayment.
• Congress should request a GAO report to evaluate the effectiveness of free college aid programs and their impact on equity in enrollment and graduation of students with lower incomes and students of color.

Here’s what state government can do:

• State legislatures should design equity-driven free college programs that include components, such as:
  • Covering the full cost of attendance for students with lower incomes, including tuition, fees, living expenses, and financial safety net packages with allowable uses for books, course learning materials, and transfer withholdings.
  • Covering at least tuition for all students attending public colleges and universities.
  • Including four-year colleges and universities, HBCUs, and TCUs.
  • Providing aid to support students earning bachelor’s degrees.
  • Eliminating eligibility criteria that limits part-time students, adult students, students who do not meet satisfactory grade point average (GPA) requirements (typically a 2.0), and students who need to leave to pursue workforce opportunities.
  • Allowing for aid to remain as grants and not converted to loans requiring repayment.
  • Ensuring eligibility regardless of immigration status and students impacted by the criminal-legal system.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

• Higher education institutions should cover the cost of tuition on a “first-dollar” basis, where award levels are not reduced because of a student receiving other grant aid. Through a first-dollar approach, grants could be used by students for living expenses.
• Higher education institutions should expand student support programs, build institutional capacity, and strengthen transfer agreements.