Washington, DC – Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) President J. Noah Brown and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) President Walter G. Bumphus, Ph.D., will serve on the National Advisory Board for the College Promise Campaign supporting free community college for responsible students.

Announced today by President Barack Obama and chaired by Second Lady Jill Biden, the College Promise Campaign will raise awareness for programs and services that support tuition-free community college programs.

“This campaign will bring national attention to the need for increased access at community colleges,” said Brown.  “‘Promise’ programs provide tuition for students to earn a two-year degree or certificate and are an investment in the future of our country. I am proud to be a part of a movement that will help provide such an important investment in our future.”

The College Promise Campaign will promote America’s College Promise (ACP) programs and advocate for strengthening the federal government investment in post-secondary education.  The Administration’s ACP proposal provides for an unprecedented partnership between the federal government and the more than 1,100 community colleges throughout the nation.  Modeled after programs in Tennessee and Oregon, universal community college is needed throughout the country to prepare students for 21st-century jobs. 

“This is a watershed moment for our nation,” said Bumphus.  “The approaches to universal community college are as varied as the students they serve, but they are a pivotal gateway to the middle class for many Americans.”  Bumphus continued, “I am proud to serve on the national advisory board and join my colleagues in continuing advocacy for investing in universal community college programs as the pathway to prosperity for thousands of Americans.”

Headed by Civic Nation, the College Promise Campaign was announced by President Obama and Dr. Jill Biden at Macomb Community College in Michigan.  The campaign will raise awareness and support for universal community college education for all responsible students and develop broad public understanding that access to universal community college is an investment in America’s future.  Rather than promoting one type of Promise program, the College Promise Campaign will provide information on a broader vision of a variety of tuition- and debt-free college programs and best practices.

ACCT and AACC have prepared a toolkit for members and encourage them to get involved in the College Promise Campaign.  For more information, visit www.acct.org or www.aacc.nche.edu.