Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Each Have Free College Proposals. Here’s What Students Need To Know.
Credit: Image Credit: Michael M. Santiago / Staff / Getty Images News- Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris each have free college proposals.
- Those plans may tilt the election this November.
- Gubernatorial elections may also determine whether new states will join the free college movement.
The 2024 presidential election brings renewed optimism among advocates for creating a nationwide free college program.
This election also brings a unique twist, as both leading presidential candidates are campaigning on the promise of a free college education. While former President Donald Trump’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ plans are starkly different, this could be a sign of the momentum for providing free public education beyond high school.
Ryan Morgan, CEO of the Campaign for Free College Tuition (CFCT), told BestColleges this exemplifies the bipartisan support for free college.
That’s evident by the fact that both [candidates] touch on free college programs in their respective platforms,
he said. Their approaches are very different, but that’s the norm these days between Democrats and Republicans.
November’s 2024 gubernatorial races may also impact the future of statewide tuition-free college programs.
Battling Proposals Offer Different Methods to Free College
Free college is on the ballot this November, but each of the main presidential candidates has a very different idea of how it should look.
Donald Trump
The American Academy: Trump laid out a vision for a free, online-only university program called the American Academy on Nov. 1, 2023. While details are sparse, he promised that any credentials awarded through the program would be recognized by the federal government and government contractors.
Kamala Harris
America’s College Promise: Harris’ proposal for free community college closely mirrors the America’s College Promise Act. This proposal would award grants to states that promise to waive two years of community college tuition at public, two-year colleges.
Neither candidate has spoken about either plan on the campaign trail thus far, Morgan said.
That goes back to my point that it’s a popular bipartisan issue, but not one that really works people up,
he said.
Still, that’s not to say that free college isn’t a priority for many voters.
He said CFCT polling data shows the issue is popular among traditionally aged college students, who might stand to benefit from such a program. Additionally, people ages 35-44 also show some interest in the potential for free college, likely because some in this group have college-age children or children who will be heading to college soon.
Morgan added that there is merit to a free, online college program like what Trump suggested. However, such a plan doesn’t address all workforce needs since the education for many in-demand professions like nursing can’t be completed entirely online.
Additionally, it’s unclear whether other Republicans will rally to support creating an online institution run by the federal government.
Harris’ plan is more in line with what CFCT has in mind.
However, the chances that both Democrats and Republicans would unite under such a plan is unlikely, Morgan admitted.
The best shot at a comprehensive free college proposal being enacted within the next two years is for Harris to be elected and for Democrats to secure both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the upcoming election.
He added that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, gives him added optimism that Harris’ plan could cross the finish line. Walz signed the North Star Promise Program into law in 2023, which covers the cost of tuition and fees for Minnesota families earning less than $80,000 per year.
I think that we would have an ally in that administration,
Morgan said.
Gubernatorial Race to Watch for a Statewide Plan
It’s unclear, no matter who wins the presidential race, whether a federal free college proposal is a real possibility.
With lack of federal movement,
Morgan said, I think states are picking up the slack.
One such state to watch this election is North Carolina.
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has held the office since 2017, is term limited and cannot run for reelection. Fellow Democrat and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is running to replace him, and Stein has campaigned on a platform of eliminating tuition at the state’s community colleges.
And we must ensure that North Carolinians who want to continue their education or training can afford it, including keeping tuition affordable at our public universities and making our community colleges tuition no-cost for students training in our state’s growing, high-demand industries.
Stein’s platform states.
That way, our students can get good-paying jobs, and our businesses can hire the workers they need.
North Carolina is one of just 16 states without a statewide free college tuition program, according to CFCT.