Is Community College Free? In These 19 States, Yes - The College Post (2023)

There are so many great things about college: making new friends, having new experiences, learning about topics you really care about, and graduating with a boat-load of debt. Wait, what was that last one?

It’s no secret that college is expensive — and fees just keep on rising. And while many students choose to turn to far more affordable community colleges, these still often come with a cost.

Unless, of course, you live in one of the 19 states in the US that offer free community college programs. Are you lucky enough to live in one of these places where you can get an education and save some valuable cash? Read on to find out!

What is Tuition-Free College?

Tuition-free programs mean that students who meet eligibility requirements can go to specified community colleges for free, without paying hefty tuition fees.

However, it’s important to note that while the programs cover tuition, that doesn’t make college free. There are also charges like room, board, transportation, and textbooks — which still need to be paid for out of pocket.

These amounts add up! The average tuition fee for a four-year course in a community college in 2019-20 was $10,440. With boarding and room charges included, it jumped to $21,950. States that allow students to offset those tuition fees are giving them a huge leg-up toward avoiding hefty college debt.

First-Dollar vs. Last-Dollar Grants

The majority of the programs below are “last-dollar” programs — while only a few select states offer “first-dollar” programs. But what’s the difference?

Last-Dollar

Last-dollar grants are awarded to students whose aid falls short of the overall college fees. However, this only applies after taking into account their financial contribution, combined with the federal financial aid they are eligible to receive.

These programs essentially cover the gap between the total aid provided to a student and the cost of college education (tuition plus fees).

First-Dollar

In comparison, a first-dollar scholarship provides tuition fee waivers to students, regardless of additional funding or grants the student is eligible for.

States Which Offer Tuition-Free Community College

Arkansas – Arkansas Future Grant

The Arkansas Future Grant is a last-dollar grant that is available to students pursuing a two-year program in science, technology, engineering, and math fields or a regional high demand area of study.

Eligibility Criteria

Students who have graduated from an Arkansas public school or received a recognized high school equivalency diploma, and have lived in the state for three consecutive years are eligible to apply for the program.

Apart from that, a recipient must complete eight hours of community service per semester and must work full-time for three consecutive years in the state following graduation.

California – California Promise

Unlike most of the programs in this list, California Promise is a first-dollar program, which means it provides tuition waivers to students, regardless of additional funding or grants the students are eligible for.

Eligibility Criteria

As one of the best examples of free community college on this list, state resident students planning to attend or attending a two-year or four-year degree can apply.

Only full-time students are eligible, which means students must complete 30-semester units within each academic year.

Connecticut – New Haven Promise

The Promise scholarship grants free tuition for New Haven residents, who graduated from a New Haven public school, attending public two or four-year colleges and universities in Connecticut.

If you are new to the city while in your freshman year, you can try to qualify for a percentage of the scholarship but the amount will likely be based on your length of residency in New Haven.

Eligibility Criteria

The scholarship is exclusive to New Haven residents who attended local public schools or an approved New Haven charter school. Students must have a clean disciplinary record and have completed around 40 hours of community service during high school.

Additionally, qualified applicants need a final high school GPA of 3.0 and a good attendance record, not missing more than 72 days in school.

Delaware – SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree)

The SEED program covers tuition for full-time students for two-year programs at the University of Delaware for its Associate of Arts degree program or any program at Delaware Technical Community College.

Eligibility Criteria

SEED is available for Delaware students who have maintained a 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale, or a combined score of 1350 on the new Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of at least 19.

Students applying to the program cannot have been convicted of a felony and can enroll no later than the fall semester immediately after high school graduation.

Hawaii – Hawaii Promise Scholarship

The Hawaii Promise Scholarship covers the tuition fees of students who are enrolled in at least six credits at a University of Hawaii Community College. This is a last-dollar program, meaning it covers financial needs not met by other forms of financial aids. It covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation for eligible students. Around 1,500 students received the scholarship in 2017-18, receiving an average of $1,200 each.

Eligibility Criteria

Residents of Hawaii who have submitted their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application can apply.

Indiana – 21st Century Scholars Program

This is a unique program that offers up to four years of tuition to the state’s residents with a requirement that they have to commit to the program in 7th or 8th grade.

It also requires the applicants to have good academic performance throughout their high school, and good behavior that is free of drug use and other illegal acts.

Eligibility Criteria

Students must enroll in 7th or 8th grade, earn an overall high school GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, complete the Scholar Success Program, and earn Indiana’s Core 40 Diploma, and complete at least 30 credit hours each year in college.

An income threshold level also applies to be eligible for the program.

Kentucky – Work First Kentucky Scholars Program

The Work First Kentucky Scholars Program provides free community college tuition to students in Kentucky who pursue degrees in an in-demand workforce sector, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, transportation/logistics, business services/IT, and construction.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for this program, the student must be a US citizen and a resident of Kentucky.

They should be a high school graduate or be enrolled in or have completed a General Educational Development (GED) Program but have not attained an associate degree. A student must apply or be accepted at an eligible institution approved by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority.

Louisiana – TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students)

TOPS is an accessible scholarship program directed at state residents who attend one of Louisiana’s public university systems or schools from the states’ community and technical college systems. These scholarships take care of tuition costs, but not other expenses.

Eligibility Criteria

Students must be enrolled as a full-time freshman and have a minimum GPA of 2.50 in TOPS core curriculum courses. A minimum ACT score of the prior year’s state average must also be attained. Additionally, 24 earned hours must be completed within the academic year to continue eligibility.

Maryland – Maryland Community College Scholarship

The program offers students up to $5,000 to cover their two-year community college tuition to enroll in a vocational course. There is no age limit for recipients.

Eligibility Criteria

A high school student or a GED recipient must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 and must not have an income of more than $100,000 annually if the person is unmarried, or $150,000 if the person is married or resides in a two-parent household.

Recipients are required to work full-time in the state within one year after earning the degree or certificate.

Massachusetts — Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Plan

In this program, the City of Boston will cover up to three years of college tuition for qualified low-income students pursuing associate degrees in six participating schools.

The TFCC plan will cover the remaining tuition or fees after applying for the Pell Grant and students can expect $250 each semester for a maximum of three years to be used for other major expenses, such as books or transportation.

Eligibility Criteria

Boston residents graduating with at least a 2.0 GPA and who are set to receive their high school diploma (or an equivalent) within 18 months of starting the TFCC plan are eligible for this program.

Students should also be eligible for the Pell Grant and must come from low to moderate-income households to continue their application.

Missouri – A+ Scholarship

This program provides grants to eligible students of the states who want to attend a community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have attended an A+ high school for at least two years prior to graduation, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants must have at least a 95 percent attendance record overall for grades 9 to 12. They also have to perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, of which up to a quarter may include job shadowing (on job learning) prior to graduation.

Montana – Montana Promise Grant Program

The Montana Promise Grant Program is for students pursuing an associate degree or professional credential at one of Montana’s two-year, tribal, and community colleges.

Eligibility Criteria

Students must be a Montana resident for at least 12 months and must have a GPA of at least 2.5 in high school.Students should not have completed more than 60 credit hours or the equivalent at a postsecondary institution or earned an associate degree.

New York – Excelsior Scholarship

The Excelsior Scholarship covers tuition up to $5,500 for students attending a two-year or four-year undergraduate-degree-granting school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system or the City University of New York system (CUNY).

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have either graduated from a high school, earned a high school equivalency diploma, or passed a federally approved Ability-to-Benefit test.

It is available to students with an adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less, and the applicant must be a US citizen and a resident of New York for the last one year prior to the beginning of the term.

The student has to enroll in at least 12 credits per term, complete at least 30 credits each year, and has to reside in the state for the length of the time the award was received.

Nevada – Nevada Promise Scholarship

This program is one of the most flexible options on the list. It covers up to three years of college tuition for students enrolled in any of the four community colleges in the state.

Eligibility Criteria

There’s no minimum GPA or SAT score to receive the scholarship. However, students must complete 20 hours of community service.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma’s Promise

The Oklahoma Promise program was started in 1992 to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. It allows students who are enrolled in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade in an Oklahoma high school to earn free tuition at a state public two-year college or four-year university when they attend.

Eligibility Criteria

An applicant’s family income must be less than $55,000 per annum, and students must have completed a prescribed list of high school courses.

Apart from that, during the course, if a student gets suspended for more than one semester for conduct reasons, they will lose the scholarship permanently.

Oregon – Oregon Promise

This program covers tuition costs of up to $4,000 per year for high school graduates enrolled in both two and four-year community colleges in the state.

Eligibility Criteria

Have at least a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA or a grade of at least 145 on all GED tests.

Applicants must have been a resident of Oregon for the last 12 months and should not have more than 90 college credits completed or attempted.

Rhode Island – Rhode Island Promise

The program allows the high school graduates of the state to pursue tuition-free associate degrees at The Community College of Rhode Island, regardless of their income status.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have had a minimum 2.5 GPA in high school, and should be younger than 19 years.

Those who wish to pursue higher education than an associate degree can transfer the grant to the University of Rhode Island or Rhode Island College through the Joint Admissions Agreement program.

Tennessee – Tennessee Promise

The Tennessee Promise provides eligible high school students tuition-free education at the state’s 13 community colleges and 27 technical schools or eligible public and private universities with two-year programs.

Another highlight of the program is that it provides guidance to students in the form of a mentor to navigate the college admission process.

Eligibility Criteria

Tennessee residents applying for the program must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher and must complete eight hours of community service per term.

Virginia – Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3)

This Virginian initiative makes community colleges tuition-free for low and middle-income students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields, such as health care, information technology, and computer science.

Students who qualify for a Pell Grant can receive student-support incentive grants amounting to $900 per semester and $450 per summer term.

Eligibility Criteria

Initial eligibility for the program will be determined through the submission of federal and state student financial aid applications, including FAFSA. Each participating institution will have more specific information on how to apply for the program.

Washington – College Bound Scholarship Washington and the Seattle Promise

Washington has two main free community college initiatives.

The College Bound Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition, some fees, and a small book allowance. Students in 7th or 8th grade from low-income families can apply.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Promise is a last-dollar program that allows graduates of local public schools to apply for a tuition scholarship that covers any remaining tuition balance for up to two years at any public Seattle college.If low-income students still need financial support for expenses beyond tuition, such as books, meals, or room and board, they can apply for the Seattle Promise Equity Scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the College Bound Scholarship Washington, students must meet the FAFSA income eligibility criteria.

Seattle Promise scholars are required to have good academic standing, a stellar attendance record, and must meet with their advisor each quarter to remain qualified.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tuition-Free College