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To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure College for All.amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure College for All.

6/18/2025, 8:05 AM

Summary of Bill HR 3543

The bill titled "To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure College for All" was introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 3543 on May 21, 2025. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure access to college education for all individuals. Specific provisions within the bill aim to address affordability, accessibility, and equity in higher education, potentially outlining directives for financial aid expansion, tuition reduction, or program accessibility enhancements.

Congressional Summary of HR 3543

College for All Act of 2025

This bill establishes measures to expand access to higher education, including by eliminating tuition and required fees for eligible students, revising the Federal Pell Grant program, and reauthorizing certain programs to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Specifically, the bill provides funding to enable states and tribal colleges and universities, through a federal-state partnership, to eliminate tuition and required fees for (1) all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities, and (2) working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education and tribal colleges and universities.

The bill provides funding to enable private, nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions to eliminate tuition and required fees for eligible students.

The bill permanently reauthorizes and otherwise revises the Federal Pell Grant program by

  • providing funding to increase the maximum award for each eligible student,
  • increasing the duration limit for the use of Pell Grants,
  • allowing students to use their awards to cover living and nontuition expenses, and
  • expanding eligibility to Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status and who entered the United States before the age of 16) and students with other immigration statuses.

Further, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to eligible states and tribal colleges and universities for improving student outcomes.

The bill reauthorizes through FY2035 the Federal TRIO Programs and reauthorizes through FY2029 the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

Current Status of Bill HR 3543

Bill HR 3543 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since May 21, 2025. Bill HR 3543 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the House on May 21, 2025.  Bill HR 3543's most recent activity was Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. as of May 21, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 3543

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
1
Republican Sponsors
0
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
255
Democrat Cosponsors
255
Republican Cosponsors
0
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 3543

Primary Policy Focus

Comments

Angelique Floyd profile image

Angelique Floyd

599

8 months ago

I don't get why they wanna mess with college stuff. Like, who's gonna pay for all this "College for All" crap? And what about the quality of education? This bill sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Who's gonna be affected by this mess anyway?