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S. 1716: America's College Promise Act of 2015

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S. 1716: America's College Promise Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-08 · Education · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-08 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

America's College Promise Act of 2015

Plain summary

America's College Promise Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and Indian tribes to waive tuition and fees at community colleges. To receive a grant, states and Indian tribes must agree to waive tuition and fees at all their community colleges and for all eligible students. An eligible student is a first-time student who: (1) qualifies for resident tuition; (2) enrolls at least half-time; (3) maintains satisfactory academic progress; and (4) enrolls in an academic program with credits that are fully transferable to any public institution of higher education in the state or enrolls in a training program that leads to credentials in an in-demand industry. The bill appropriates $1.4 billion in FY2016 and $79.7 billion over FY2016-FY2025 to make grants under this community college program. This bill also authorizes ED to award grants to four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to waive or reduce tuition and fees for up to 60 credits for low-income students. HBCUs and MSIs that participate must: (1) enroll a student body that contains at least 35% low-income students; (2) maintain or adopt reforms and practices to improve completion rates and student outcomes; (3) set performance goals; and (4) execute an articulation agreement with community colleges, if accepting transfer students. It appropriates $55 million for FY2016 and $10.1 billion over FY2016-FY2025 to make grants under this HBCU/MSI program.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

America's College Promise Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] reported raising $3.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-s1716 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114