America’s College Promise Act of 2026

The bill would create grants for states and eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities to cover tuition and fees for eligible students, with states gradually taking on a larger share of the cost. Eligible students generally must be undergraduates attending at least half-time and qualify for in-state or in-district tuition; they may receive the benefit for no more than six semesters.

A Student Success Fund would provide grants to states and Tribal Colleges and Universities that receive tuition-free community college grants. Recipients would use approved plans to improve student outcomes, with non-federal matching contributions rising over time; the Secretary could modify or waive the match for Tribal Colleges and Universities.

The bill would establish grants for participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and specified Minority-Serving Institutions. The grants would support enrollment, transfer pathways from community colleges, and reforms intended to improve degree completion and other student outcomes; the visible text says eligible institutions must be public or nonprofit four-year colleges with at least 35 percent low-income students.

States receiving tuition-free community college grants would have to plan to align high school graduation requirements with entry into community-college credit courses and improve transfer pathways to four-year colleges. They would also have to meet spending-maintenance requirements, submit annual reports, and meet other grant conditions; the state-only requirements do not apply to eligible Tribal Colleges and Universities.