Resource Title:
Free College and Adult Student Populations

Bills related to free college programs, a trend in college affordability policy, have been considered in over half of states in recent years. The following dashboard illustrates where policies have been considered and provides trends in student eligibility criteria. Importantly, many proposed policies across states limit access to adult students. However, to reach attainment imperatives, states may want to consider reaching adult students who face affordability constraints. An accompanying brief, Free Community College: An approach to increase adult student success in postsecondary education, provides details for crafting more broadly inclusive policy.

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