Biden's free-college proposals could boost economy by $160 billion -- but it may still be a tough sel

sell in Congress

One of the major goals of the Biden administration will be to stimulate the economy. New research suggests that one of the now-President’s campaign proposals could do just that, though it may need to overcome major hurdles to become a reality.

Biden’s plan to make community college free and four-year public college tuition-free for students from households earning $125,000 or less would increase Americans’ disposable income by $61 billion, according to an analysis published this week by the Campaign for Free College Tuition and Rise, an advocacy organization focused on college affordability and other youth and student issues.

The analysis, conducted by Robert Shapiro, a under-secretary of commerce during the Clinton administration, and Isaac Yoder, a senior analyst at Sonecon, Shapiro’s economic advisory firm, estimates that this extra $61 billion could boost GDP by $136 billion over 2021 and 2022.

The findings come as Biden begins his first week in office with a focus on combating the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. Biden’s free college campaign proposal didn’t make it into the stimulus plan he outlined last week, which is centered around more immediate concerns like speeding up vaccination distribution and re-opening K-12 schools.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/bidens-free-college-proposals-could-boost-economy-by-dollar160-billion-%e2%80%94-but-it-may-still-be-a-tough-sell-in-congress/ar-BB1cYgFc?li=BBnb7Kz