College Promise for All

Commitment Statement on College Promise for All

We believe the best way to increase our nation’s college access and attainment goals and, at the same time, eliminate inequities and achievement gaps across America is to galvanize a nationwide movement in support of making college as universal, accessible, and affordable as high school has been in the U.S. for more than a century.

If America is to remain competitive in the global marketplace, pathways to economic and social mobility are critical to a fulsome national recovery. America must take bold steps to bolster its position in the world. The pace of change in the knowledge economy affecting the American workforce makes a high school education no longer enough to build the knowledge and skills required for long-term career success now or in the future. One hundred years ago, we made high school education universally accessible. Today, we must position our country to meet the demands of a new era by making a College Promise for All.

Over the past 5+ years, the College Promise movement grew sixfold to 337 local communities in 47 states and throughout 31 states, now delivering tuition-free college opportunities and increasing wraparound services for students. We want to build on this progress.

Our ultimate vision is to eliminate every financial and systemic barrier to an affordable, quality postsecondary education that includes essential student supports. We want to give our nation’s hardworking students the time and resources they need to focus on their studies, graduate sooner, and advance in the workforce and in the rest of their lives. In doing so, we will reduce the inequities that hold students back and unleash the talent pipeline for a far more prosperous nation in the 21st century.