Time to Reconnect
State launches free community college program for 25+
WELLESLEY – Holyoke Community College President George Timmons joined Gov. Maura T. Healey today to launch MassReconnect, the administration's new program establishing free community college for Massachusetts residents aged 25 and older.
The announcement event, held this morning at MassBay Community College, was attended by representatives from the Healey administration and Department of Higher Education, as well as the presidents of the state's 15 community colleges.
"MassReconnect will be transformative for thousands of students, for our amazing community colleges, and for our economy," Healey said. "It will bolster the role of community colleges as economic drivers in our state and help us better meet the needs of businesses to find qualified, well-trained workers. We can also make progress in breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty by helping residents complete their higher education credentials so they can attain good jobs and build a career path. Our administration is grateful for the partnership of the Legislature to move forward on this critical program that will make our state more affordable, competitive and equitable."
The state is investing $20 million in MassReconnect for the first year of implementation. The funding covers the full cost of tuition and fees and includes an allowance for books and supplies for qualifying students. Additionally, each community college will receive $100,000 to support student and community program awareness, staffing, and program administration.
"This is an exciting moment for HCC and all Massachusetts community colleges," said Holyoke Community College President George Timmons. "Our college's financial aid and student affairs teams have been working diligently to prepare for MassReconnect and to guide students through the process of enrolling at HCC. MassReconnect will enable our community colleges to do more of what we do best, which is serve students from all ages and all backgrounds, and provide them with an exceptional education that leads to employment and, ultimately, a stronger economy and thriving region."
"HCC already serves more than 1,300 learners age 25 or older every year, and we know there are thousands of adults in our communities for whom MassReconnect can be the spark that helps them take that first step toward earning a college degree," Timmons said. "HCC is uniquely equipped to serve adult learners when they arrive here - through our Itsy Bitsy Child Watch, Homestead Market, Adult Learner Success Center, and more."
MassReconnect starts immediately. There is still time for students to enroll for the fall 2023 semester. Qualifying students must be enrolled in at least six credits per semester in an approved program of study leading to an associate degree or certificate at one of the Commonwealth's 15 community colleges and complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid). There is no deadline to sign up.
Fall semester classes at HCC begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, but there are also two additional flexible fall start dates, on Sept. 25 and Oct. 30.
For more information about MassReconnect at HCC, please go to: hcc.edu/massreconnect
To qualify for MassReconnect, students must be 25 or older on the first day of their classes and be a permanent Massachusetts resident for at least one year at the start of the enrolled term. The program is limited to residents who have not previously earned a college degree (associates or bachelor's) who enroll in at least six credits per semester in an approved program of study leading to an associate degree or certificate at a community college.
"Our administration and our community college partners are ready to hit the ground running with MassReconnect this fall semester," said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. "We encourage any eligible students who might have been holding off on taking that final step to enroll to do so now to begin this next stage of their education and career. "
MassReconnect will likely support up to 6,500-8,000 community college students in the first year, which could grow to closer to 10,000 students by FY25, depending on how many students take advantage of the new opportunity. They could include current students, new students, or returning students who did not complete their degree. There are approximately 700,000 Massachusetts residents who have some college credit but no degree. MassReconnect will help bring back these students to finish their degrees, with the additional funding and support they may have been lacking the first time.
"In Massachusetts, we know that getting an education is a key to the middle class, supporting a family, building a life, and pursuing a brighter future. In this year's state budget, we thrust open the doors to those opportunities and countless others, by making community college free for people 25 and over, making nursing programs at community colleges free for all individuals, and setting our state on a path to universal free community college in 2024," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "These proposals are a major step towards the Senate's Student Opportunity Plan and are crucial to ensuring residents have the tools to build the futures they dream of-right here in Massachusetts."
Quincy College also received $1.5 million in the FY24 budget to operate a similar program.
"MassReconnect will create life-changing educational and career opportunities through free community college for qualifying residents at institutions such as Quincy College and at other community colleges across the Commonwealth, including for many residents from historically underserved communities," said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). "This program will also help to address key labor shortages, while ensuring that Massachusetts possesses a highly trained workforce that is prepared for the industries of the future."
During the event, the Healey-Driscoll Administration highlighted the first MassReconnect students at MassBay, celebrating the impact the program is expected to have for students across the state.
"For adults coming to one of the fifteen community colleges across the Commonwealth, MassReconnect removes one of the biggest barriers to attendance: cost," said Jim Vander Hooven, president of Mount Wachusett Community College and chair of the Community College Council of Presidents. "By making community college completely free for any adult over 25 in Massachusetts without a degree, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is making an historic investment in our state's workforce and providing hundreds of thousands of adults with a clear pathway to a career."
The Commonwealth's 15 community colleges are a ticket to economic mobility for many Massachusetts residents, and thus are key drivers of our business and our economic success. Nationally, employees who have earned their associate degree are paid 18 percent more than workers with only a high school diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And these well-paying jobs are just waiting to be filled-in July 2023 there were more than 26,000 unique job postings in the Commonwealth that specifically required an associate degree. MassReconnect will harness the power of our community colleges by allowing workers to earn the training and education necessary for their career growth and reinforcing our pipeline of skilled industry professionals entering the workforce.
"There's no doubt that with MassReconnect we will be able to change the lives of each of the students who take advantage of this historic opportunity to achieve their degree," said Secretary of Education Tutwiler. "But beyond our students, this program will also strengthen the Commonwealth's economy and our public higher education system, By investing in our community college students, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is investing in the future of the Commonwealth."
"With the Healey-Driscoll Administration's record-breaking investment in higher education, including the highest levels of support for financial aid and scholarships the Commonwealth has ever seen, we will be able to expand access to higher learning more than ever before. MassReconnect is the centerpiece of that effort," said Commissioner of the Department of Higher Education Ortega. "For all the Massachusetts adults out there who had to put their education on hold or didn't have the opportunity to pursue it in the first place, now is your chance to pursue a degree or certificate to advance your career and transform your life and that of your family."
