College for All Act of 2025

This bill aims to make college much more affordable. Starting in the 2026–27 school year, the federal government would partner with states and Tribal Colleges to remove tuition and required fees for many students. Community colleges and 2‑year Tribal Colleges would be tuition‑free. Public 4‑year colleges and 4‑year Tribal Colleges would be tuition‑free for students with incomes up to $150,000 if single (or in a single‑parent household) and up to $300,000 if married, with these amounts adjusted each year. The federal share would start at 100% and step down to 80% by 2030–31, with states covering the rest; extra funds would help high‑tuition states join the program.

The bill also funds private, nonprofit HBCUs and other minority‑serving colleges so they can eliminate tuition and required fees for eligible students. It raises the maximum Pell Grant for 2026–27 (to $14,790 at schools defined in law, including Tribal Colleges, and $7,395 at others), then adjusts it for inflation. It lets students use Pell money for living costs, extends Pell eligibility to 7½ years, and makes Pell Grants tax‑free. Dreamer students and some others (such as those with DACA or TPS) would be eligible for federal aid. States and Tribal Colleges could receive “student success” grants to expand advising, mental health services, basic‑needs help, transfer pathways, and more, with priority for underserved students. The bill also increases funding for TRIO and GEAR UP and boosts long‑term support for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and other minority‑serving institutions.

Key points

• Who is affected: Students at public colleges, community colleges, and Tribal Colleges; students at private nonprofit HBCUs and other minority‑serving institutions; students in the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Freely Associated States; and Dreamer students gaining aid eligibility.
• What changes: Tuition and required fees removed for many students; Pell Grants increased and usable for living costs; new grants to improve advising, mental health, transfer, and basic‑needs supports; increased TRIO/GEAR UP and HBCU/TCU/MSI funding. States must keep up higher‑ed funding and improve high‑school‑to‑college alignment and credit transfer.
• When: Starts in the 2026–27 school year. Core funding continues in later years, with a federal‑to‑state cost share phasing in by 2030–31. Extra help for high‑tuition states is available through September 30, 2031.