First Lady Jill Biden Visits Mesa, Arizona, to Support Tuition-Free Community College

One day after cheering on her hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the Super Bowl, first lady Jill Biden made another stop in Arizona. She traveled to Mesa to lift up and support the community’s tuition-free college program.

Biden visited Mesa Community College to promote the Mesa College Promise, which covers two years of tuition and fees at the school for eligible Mesa high school students.

“Two years ago, my husband, President Biden, made a promise to rebuild the middle class,” the first lady said. “And you know what does exactly that? Community colleges.”

Biden spoke about how, while she was second lady, she and her husband, Joe Biden, created the College Promise program to make community college tuition-free. She said they are still working through challenges from Congress, but communities like Mesa aren’t going to wait on Congress.

“Across the country, we’re seeing programs like this one bridging the gap between what students learn and the careers they will eventually find,” she said. “And we need more communities to follow Mesa’s lead.”

According to the website, the Mesa College Promise is a public-private partnership with funding from the city of Mesa and its businesses and philanthropists.

It covers two years of tuition and fees up to $2,070 per year, a two-year iPad loan, and a $250 expenses stipend each semester for two years.

“As Joe said in his State of the Union, community colleges provide the ‘best career training in America,'” the first lady said. “They are flexible and meet students where they are. And while community colleges can be a critical step toward a four-year degree, they also provide pathways to jobs that pay well.”