Abstract
Higher education as a right is best exemplified by the attempt of the federal government to provide at least some college education to every individual who desires it at no cost to the student. The pursuit of free higher education for all as a means to promote equity and economic growth began in 2009 under President Obama with the support of the First Lady, Michelle Obama and under the watch of the then Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Now, in 2022, there is renewed hope as the nation struggles with the pandemic, is experiencing extreme economic disparity, and calls for equitable access to affordable, quality education as a means to address national challenges, which dominates President Biden’s agenda. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden has once again made it her mission to promote access to higher education for all. This chapter considers the call set forth by Dr. Biden, the victories and challenges in US policy to make this a reality, the ideas that support or negate the value of promise programs, and lessons learned from current programs at national, state, and local levels.
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Palmadessa, A. (2023). Making College Education a Right, Not a Privilege: America’s First Lady, Dr. Biden’s Quest to Make College Free. In: Akande, A. (eds) Globalization, Human Rights and Populism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17203-8_17
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