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John,
In our 21st Century economy, every young person must have the opportunity to go to college. So many good paying mainstream jobs require a college education that no one should be denied this basic prerequisite due to their socioeconomic background or financial status.
With the Supreme Court’s recent broad rejection of affirmative action, we desperately need mechanisms for ensuring a diverse population of educated and capable citizens across all segments of society.
Fortunately, the College for All Act of 2023 offers a chance to enable every American to attend college, in spite of college tuition and student loan debt spiraling out of control. Key features include eliminating tuition and fees for all students at community colleges, and eliminating tuition for families making less than $125,000 to attend public four-year schools.
The legislation will also eliminate tuition at historically black or tribal colleges and universities (HBCUs and TCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), double Pell Grants, and block big education budget cuts in the future.
College education is an entrance requirement for the jobs of the future. Sign the petition now to be a Grassroots Cosponsor of the College for All Act of 2023.
In the long run, public funding of college tuition pays for itself, by giving people the capacity to earn more than they would with a high school education. Ultimately these better paid citizens will “pay it forward” by contributing back to further the education of upcoming generations of students.
Making college free would expand access to education and encourage more students to attend. Students who believe they can’t go to college because it’s too expensive will be able to reconsider the advantages of attending. Especially for first generation or low income students, knowing there will be support in future years, and not only in the first year, will help boost retention and successful completion of a bachelor’s degree.
A better educated workforce benefits the economy and the quality of life. A more skilled workforce will be more competitive internationally. In addition, better paid workers will have more disposable income to spend, helping the economy grow. The increased future earnings over workers’ lifetimes far outweighs the short-term costs of the education.
College for All would help repair historic inequities. Second, third, and fourth generation college attendees are more likely to attend college themselves, due to accumulations of net worth over the generations, and a family culture where attending college is expected. By encouraging first generation students, College for All would help level the playing field for those who are new to the game.
Eliminating tuition improves students’ graduation rates and eases other economic issues that impact student success. Studies have shown that free community college tuition has increased graduation rates at both the two-year and four-year levels. Free college also helps to alleviate related issues, such as food and housing insecurity, child care, transportation, and the ability to access technology, with resulting positive effects on student retention and successful graduation.
Reducing college debt will also help the economy. Under the current system, many students incur over $100,000 in debt in order to attend college. This means they start the climb up the economic ladder to financial success several rungs underwater, putting other attainments such as home ownership or starting a business hopelessly far out of reach. Reducing or eliminating student debts will enable people to take greater risks and try new things, essential for a thriving economy.
The benefits of College for All are far-reaching and life-changing. Please sign the petition and help make it happen.
Thank you for helping to provide hope for future generations of college students.
- Amanda
Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund
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