Living Up to the Promise? Exploring Issues of Access and Equity among New England's Promise Programs

For the first time in U.S. history, a proposal for nationwide free community college passed through the House of Representatives in the fall of 2021. Although the provision was ultimately dropped from President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill, its early presence suggests the political appeal of making college accessible to more Americans. These types of free college policies, widely known as "promise programs," have the potential to expand access to a debt-free higher education, particularly for low-income, first-generation and other historically underrepresented student communities. Promise programs are an encouraging approach to achieving equity in higher education and the workforce. However, common and current promise program implementation strategies, such as limiting eligibility to certain groups and types of colleges, can exacerbate inequality rather than reduce it. This report describes the landscape of New England's promise programs. It addresses the following questions: (1) In which institutions, cities and states in the region do promise programs currently exist?; (2) How are they implemented, and how does implementation vary?; (3) How are they funded?; (4) Who benefits from existing promise programs, and who is left out?; (5) How do promise program recipients benefit, both financially and otherwise?; and (6) Do region's promise programs center equity by prioritizing support for historically underserved student groups? By analyzing state and local promise programs with a spotlight on the enrollment, payout and graduation rates of four of New England's most prominent promise programs--the Rhode Island Promise, Connecticut's New Haven and Hartford Promise programs, and Boston's Tuition-Free Community College Plan--this report will inform policymakers, educational leaders and the public about the most effective ways to design and implement these programs as they create and advocate for similar efforts.