"President Biden’s plan to make two years of community college free, which could make college more affordable and accessible to millions of Americans, is being praised as a long-overdue step forward. But depending on how it’s structured, some experts also caution that it could end up hurting disadvantaged students by diverting them to colleges where they’re less likely to succeed, and that it could provide free tuition to those who can already afford it," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

"The American Families Plan, which Biden unveiled on Wednesday and was expected to highlight in a speech before a joint session of Congress, includes $109 billion for two years of free community college, for 'first-time students and workers wanting to reskill.' Democrats have been promoting the idea for years, and President Barack Obama proposed making community college free for millions in 2015. With their party narrowly controlling both the House and the Senate, as well as the presidency, the measure’s chances of passage are much stronger today than six years ago. Still, the costly proposal, which is a key feature of a $1.8-trillion economic-stimulus package, is likely to draw steep resistance from Republicans."

..."Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, called the free-college movement 'long overdue,' adding that the association would work with the administration and Congress 'to iron out details and make these proposed new investments a reality.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 4/30/2021