Dive Brief:
- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey Tuesday credited the state's nascent free community college program for nontraditional students with nearly doubling enrollment among those eligible.
- MassReconnect, launched last August, covers the cost of community college for state residents 25 and older who don't have a degree. In the 2023-24 academic year, Massachusetts's 15 community colleges enrolled 8,411 students in this age group, up 45% from the year before.
- The initiative also drove an increase in completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is a requirement for participation, the governor's office said. Among students 25 and older, 86% filled out the form in fall 2023, up from 79% the year prior.
Dive Insight:
Healey first pitched the idea of a free community college program for nontraditional students when she ran for office in 2022. Legislators allocated $20 million to MassReconnect in the state's fiscal 2024 budget.
MassReconnect is a last-dollar program, covering tuition and fees for eligible students after all other forms of aid have been applied. It also provides participants with an allowance to cover books and supplies.
Since launch, the program has since distributed grants to over 4,500 people, according to Healey's office.
"This is a ticket to economic mobility, providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s economy and meet the needs of our employers,” Healey said in a statement Tuesday.
Enrollment within the community college system’s reached 67,351 students in fall 2023, an 8% increase over the last year, representing a gain of 5,000 undergraduates. All 15 of the system’s institutions saw enrollment upticks.
“These MassReconnect numbers show that when we are intentional about spreading the word far and wide that financial aid is available, students will make use of that aid," Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts’ education secretary, said Tuesday.
MassReconnect's popularity has led some state lawmakers to advocate for expanding the program. In May, state senate Democrats proposed universal free community college for all residents.
"Tuition free Community College impacts individuals most in need and whom otherwise would not be afforded this opportunity," Sen. Michael Rodrigues, chair of the state's Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said at the time. He added that the program would help students "meet the challenges of a global economy."
Senate leadership included $117.5 million in spending for the expansion, known as MassEducate, in its fiscal 2025 budget. The two halves of the legislature are still hashing out the details of the budget. If passed, it would go into effect in fall 2024.
Massachusetts is not the first state to enact a free college program for nontraditional students.
Michigan similarly offers tuition-free community college for adults with no postsecondary credentials, and lowered the minimum age for participation from 25 to 21 last year. New Mexico also offers funding, known as the Opportunity Scholarship, to older students who attend the state's public colleges.
