Education

Tuition-free college

73 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: College costs shape whether people can earn a degree and how much debt they take on, and free tuition would be paid for with tax money.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether community colleges, public universities or both should be free of tuition for students, with governments covering the cost.

  1. No free tuition program
  2. Free tuition at community colleges
  3. Free tuition at public colleges and universities

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Free tuition at community colleges (20)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says she supports a federal law making associate degree, technical certificate and workforce training programs at public community colleges tuition-free.1
  • Mike McGuire CA-1
    His campaign website lists tuition-free community college among the things higher taxes on the wealthy should pay for, and his rural plan calls for expanding federal support for it.2,3
  • Connie Chan CA-11
    Her campaign website says she supports community college education for all and would promote San Francisco's Free City College program as a national model for free higher education.4
  • Aisha Wahab CA-14
    Her campaign website says she would provide free tuition for community college, trades and occupational training.5
  • Salud Carbajal CA-24
    His campaign website says he supports two years of tuition-free community college.6
  • Adam Withrow CO Senate
    His campaign website says public education should be expanded nationally to run from pre-K through an associate degree.7
  • Keisha Lance Bottoms GA Governor
    Her campaign website says she would create a path to free technical and community college for high school graduates and workers learning new skills.8
  • Nikki Budzinski IL-13
    Her campaign website says she supports doubling the Pell grant and ensuring that students have access to affordable college, such as free community college.9
  • Juliana Stratton IL Senate
    Her campaign's opportunity blueprint says she supports tuition-free community college and would create incentives for states to guarantee universal access to community college and technical programs.10
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website proposes federal-state partnerships for tuition-free community college and tuition-free years at public colleges for students who complete AmeriCorps service.11
  • Morgan McGarvey KY-3
    His campaign website says the United States should expand public education to include universal pre-Kindergarten and free community college, and fund public universities enough to make them affordable.12
  • Jay J Bowman KY-6
    His campaign website says it supports two years of tuition-free community college for every American.13
  • Tia LeBrun LA-3
    Her campaign website's Policy Plans page lists two years of tuition-free community college among its higher education goals.14
  • Maura Healey MA Governor
    Her campaign website says she made community college free for everyone.15
  • John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr. MD-2
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments as Baltimore County Executive launching near-universal free community college.16
  • April McClain Delaney MD-6
    Her campaign website says she will support and advance legislation to make community college free and lower college tuition.17
  • Nancy Wallace MD-8
    Her campaign website lists free community college among her proposed steps for economic justice.18
  • Deborah K. Ross NC-2
    Her campaign education page says she strongly supports tuition-free community college.19
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    The page describes a proposal he calls the GRADS Act that would pay all tuition for two years of community college or a trade program and reimburse tuition for higher degrees on a scale of up to $15,000.20
  • Winston Jordan NJ-12
    His policy platform website lists making all community college free nationwide and returning to earlier federal subsidies for private and state universities so that students pay between several hundred and a few thousand dollars per semester.21

Free tuition at public colleges and universities (32)

  • James "Rus" Russell, III AR-4
    His campaign website says everyone should be able to get a free education, including college or job training.22
  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she will champion free tuition at public colleges and universities.23,24
  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website says he would eliminate tuition at four-year public colleges for families earning under $150,000 and make community college free, and that he is an original cosponsor of the College for All Act.25
  • Randy Villegas CA-22
    His campaign website says public colleges, including career, technical and community colleges, should be tuition-free.26
  • Angélica María Dueñas CA-29
    Her campaign website calls for tuition-free public colleges, universities and trade schools regardless of family income, paid for with a tax on financial trades.27,28
  • Angela Gonzales-Torres CA-34
    Her campaign website supports moving to tuition-free public higher education, including community colleges and public universities.29
  • Robert Garcia CA-42
    His campaign website says every young adult should be able to attend a tuition-free college or skilled trade program, and that he is fighting for no-cost college for all students.30
  • Melat Kiros CO-1
    Her platform calls for making public college and trade school tuition-free.31
  • Erik Underwood CO Governor
    His campaign website says he would provide free tuition at Colorado's public universities, community colleges and trade schools, paid for through new revenue sources.32
  • Angie Nixon FL Senate special
    Her campaign website says she supports tuition-free public college and trade school.33
  • Mark Davis FL-16
    His policy platform calls for working toward tuition that is paid with public money at public colleges, universities, trade schools and community colleges.34
  • Jill N. Tokuda HI-2
    Her campaign website says families deserve universal access to free public education for children of all ages, including community college and four-year universities, and says providing universal access to free community college and workforce training is vital.35
  • Kaylee Peterson ID-1
    Her campaign website says public education should be fully federally funded from pre-K through higher education, vocational training, trade schools and professional certifications.36
  • Delia Ramirez IL-3
    Her campaign website says she supports free, publicly funded community colleges and public universities and co-sponsored the College for All Act of 2023.37
  • Daniel Biss IL-9
    His campaign website says federal investment should make every two-year and four-year public college in the country tuition-free.38,39
  • Kelly Thompson IN-3
    Her campaign website says her plan would make tuition free at public colleges and universities, community colleges and qualified trade schools.40
  • Mikel Wein KY-5
    His campaign website says it is time to pass legislation guaranteeing free tuition at public schools from early childhood through graduate, trade or professional school, and lists the College for All Act of 2025, which it says provides tuition-free community college and public four-year college, among pending legislation.41
  • Pete Lynch KY-6
    His campaign website says he supports four years of free public college or four years of subsidized vocational training for every young Kentuckian.42
  • Andrea James MA Governor
    Her campaign website says she would make college at state schools, including UMass, free.43,44
  • Moshe Y. Landman MD-6
    The Green New Deal page on his campaign website lists a right to a tuition-free, federally funded public education from preschool through college.45
  • LaVeta Davenport MI-1
    Her campaign website says education should be free and accessible. The Green Party of Michigan 2026 platform text on her campaign website, which says she fully aligns with it, calls for public education, through at least a bachelor's degree or comparable trade training, to be free for everyone.46,47,48
  • Zebulon Featherly MI-1
    His campaign website says he will work to make tuition-free higher education a reality.49
  • Charlotte Magoon MI-2
    Her campaign website says she supports free tuition at public colleges and universities.50
  • Rashida Tlaib MI-12
    Her campaign website says she calls for making college free for all.51
  • Donavan McKinney MI-13
    His campaign website says tuition should be free at every public college, university and trade school.52
  • Abdul El-Sayed MI Senate
    His campaign website says every student deserves a debt-free and tuition-free path to the skills they need, whether an apprenticeship or a four-year degree.53
  • Ilhan Omar MN-5
    Her campaign website's education page says she wants public colleges and universities, both two-year and four-year, to charge no tuition and leave students without debt, and wants Pell Grants expanded to cover all college expenses.54
  • Rob Menendez NJ-8
    Its child care and education page lists guaranteeing free tuition for most students at public colleges and universities among his goals.55
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website calls for public colleges and universities to provide education at no charge.56
  • Andres Jinete NJ-12
    His campaign website calls for bringing back and expanding free tuition at state and community colleges nationwide, plus free vocational training and trade schools.57
  • Teresa Leger Fernandez NM-3
    Her campaign website says she supports ending undergraduate tuition for most students at public colleges and universities.58
  • Greg Levy OH Senate special
    His campaign website calls for making public education free from pre-K through college and trade school.59

Statements that don't match one option (21)

  • Doug Jones AL Governor
    His campaign website says he would provide free community college for adults who lack credentials.60
  • Samantha Mota CA-37
    Her campaign website says she would back the College for All Act and cap tuition at private universities.61
  • Nanette Diaz Barragan CA-44
    Her campaign website's 2016 Issues page says college should be made more affordable and that students who want an education should in the future be offered free-to-low-cost education.62
  • Joe Neguse CO-2
    His campaign website says he has sponsored measures to make sure every public college graduate finishes debt-free.63
  • Kedner Maxime FL-20
    His campaign website says he will work to expand Pell grants and make community college more affordable.64
  • Rick Jackson GA Governor
    His campaign website says he would freeze tuition, room and board at public colleges and technical schools, and that he led the charge to pass the Fostering Success Act, which lets foster youth attend public colleges and universities tuition-free.65,66
  • Sarah Trone Garriott IA-3
    Her campaign website says she will push to make community college and trade programs available to all, along with raising teacher pay and expanding early childhood education.67
  • Whitfield Harrington Jr IL Senate
    His campaign website says he would make the first year of community college free.68
  • JB Pritzker IL Governor
    His official biography lists among the results of his tenure that community college tuition is now free for working-class families, and his campaign website lists nearly doubling MAP grants and increasing AIM High scholarships to make college more affordable among his accomplishments.69,70
  • Brad A. Meyer IN-9
    His campaign website says he would make public colleges and trade schools tuition-free for low-income families and make the first year of public college free for all students.71,72
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she supports debt-free community college and technical training so that a two-year degree or certification does not start with debt.73
  • Hannah M. Pingree ME Governor
    Her campaign website says she would permanently fund Maine's free community college program and work toward tuition-free access to the first two years at Maine's public universities for middle- and low-income students.74,75
  • Valerie P. Foushee NC-4
    Her campaign website says she is working to pass legislation that would eliminate tuition costs at community colleges for all students and at four-year public schools for students from households earning under $125,000 a year.76
  • Ryan Michael Kelly NJ-3
    His campaign website lists studying ways to bring the cost of public and nonprofit colleges and universities down to low or no tuition among his priorities.77
  • Analilia Mejia NJ-11
    Her campaign issues page says she would eliminate tuition at community colleges and trade schools for all students, and at four-year schools for families of working and middle income.78
  • Deb Haaland NM Governor
    Her campaign website says she would expand the state's Opportunity Scholarship to provide free tuition for New Mexicans, including for graduate school and vocational certificates.79,80
  • Kathy C. Hochul NY Governor
    Her campaign website lists free community college for high-demand occupations among her accomplishments.81
  • Cyndi Munson OK Governor
    Her campaign website says she would expand Oklahoma's Promise, which covers college tuition and fees for low-income families, to veterans, all public school employees and their families, and more CareerTech students.82
  • Jeff Merkley OR Senate
    His campaign website says every young person who wants to should have the chance to go to college debt-free, and his voters' pamphlet statement calls for debt-free paths to trade school and college.83,84
  • Chris Henry OR Senate
    His platform supports free or much more affordable community college and public higher education, and relief from unsustainable student debt.85
  • Walid Hakim SC Governor
    His platform proposes tuition-free college for students entering critical professions such as nursing, medicine, engineering and teaching, repaid by living and working in South Carolina for 10 to 20 years.86