HE leaders hail Biden plan to boost access and retention United States President Joe Biden has proposed to Congress a US$109 billion plan to provide two free years of community college education to all Americans, “so that every student has the ability to obtain a degree or certificate”. In addition, he is calling for a substantial hike in the level of Pell Grants for students from economically disadvantaged families to help them seek a certificate or a two- or four-year degree, requiring a further US$80 billion investment. Biden is proposing to raise the maximum Pell Grant award by US$1,400, provide two years of subsidised tuition to historically black colleges and other minority-serving institutions for students from families who earn less than US$125,000 and are enrolled in a four-year college, and establish a grant programme to fund student success services at colleges that serve a high number of low-income students.