Policy
Updated November 14, 2025Current Policy Landscape
35 states offer tuition-free community college to eligible students.
IWPR Recommendation
States should break down barriers to educational attainment and reduce soaring higher education costs by offering free community college—including tuition, fees, and books—for all residents.
Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions
alabama
Session has adjourned
alaska
Session has adjourned
arizona
Session has adjourned
arkansas
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
california
Enacted in a previous sessioncolorado
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
connecticut
Enacted in a previous sessiondelaware
Enacted in a previous sessionflorida
Session has adjourned
georgia
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
hawaii
Enacted in a previous sessionidaho
Session has adjourned
illinois
Enacted in a previous sessionindiana
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
iowa
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
kansas
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
kentucky
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
louisiana
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
maine
Enacted in a previous sessionIntroduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
maryland
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
massachusetts
Enacted in a previous sessionmichigan
Enacted in a previous sessionminnesota
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
mississippi
missouri
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
montana
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
nebraska
Introduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
nevada
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
new-hampshire
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-jersey
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-mexico
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
new-york
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-carolina
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-dakota
Session has adjourned
oklahoma
Enacted in a previous sessionoregon
Enacted in a previous sessionIntroduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
rhode-island
Enacted in a previous sessionsouth-carolina
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
south-dakota
Session has adjourned
tennessee
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
texas
Session has adjourned
utah
Session has adjourned
vermont
Enacted in a previous sessionvirginia
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
washington
Enacted in a previous sessionwest-virginia
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
wyoming
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
Current Policy Landscape
15 states have implemented protections for student loan borrowers. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
IWPR Recommendation
States should extend many of the same protections that already apply to mortgage and credit card borrowers to student loan borrowers. States should also safeguard students from exorbitant interest rates, unfair fees, and the loss of records or payments, among other predatory practices.
Legislative Tracking: Current Sessions
alabama
Session has adjourned
alaska
Session has adjourned
arizona
arkansas
Session has adjourned
california
Enacted in a previous sessionIntroduced
Passed by 1 Chamber
Signed into Law
colorado
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
connecticut
Enacted in a previous sessiondistrict-of-columbia
Enacted in a previous sessionflorida
Session has adjourned
georgia
Session has adjourned
hawaii
Session has adjourned
idaho
Session has adjourned
illinois
Enacted in a previous sessionindiana
Session has adjourned
iowa
Session has adjourned
kansas
Session has adjourned
kentucky
Session has adjourned
louisiana
Session has adjourned
maine
Enacted in a previous sessionmaryland
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
massachusetts
Enacted in a previous sessionminnesota
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
mississippi
Session has adjourned
missouri
Session has adjourned
montana
Session has adjourned
nevada
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-jersey
Enacted in a previous sessionnew-mexico
Session has adjourned
new-york
Enacted in a previous sessionnorth-dakota
Session has adjourned
rhode-island
Enacted in a previous sessionsouth-carolina
south-dakota
Session has adjourned
tennessee
Session has adjourned
texas
Session has adjourned
utah
Session has adjourned
vermont
Session has adjourned
virginia
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
washington
Enacted in a previous sessionSession has adjourned
west-virginia
Session has adjourned
wyoming
Session has adjourned
State policy or data requests?
Stakeholders and partners can get support from IWPR’s experts on state-specific data and policy landscape insights. Submit a hotline request to get started.
Hotline statepal@iwpr.org