Free Community College Starts In MA: What To Know About New Program

WELLESLEY, MA — Attending community college in Massachusetts will become tuition-free for some students when classes begin this fall.

At an event at MassBay Community College in Wellesley Thursday, Gov. Maura Healey officially launched the program, called MassReconnect. The program will begin in the fall semester for students over age 25 who have lived in the state for at least a year, and who don't already have a college degree.

Healey set aside $20 million for the program in her first budget proposal, and on Thursday revealed an additional $100,000 for each of the state's 15 community colleges to promote the program and handle the influx of students. State officials expect as many as 8,000 students could enroll through MassReconnect in the spring and fall semesters.

"[MassReconnect] 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," Healey said in a news release.

State lawmakers emerged from a conference committee in late July with a compromise for the fiscal 2024 state budget. The $56.2 billion budget included $50 million for the free-tuition program. Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, began the legislative session in 2023 by calling for the creation of the program.

The community college fall semester begins in early September, although some programs have later start times, which means prospective students can still enroll. The program is open to residents who have accumulated some college credits, but not enough for a degree.

MassReconnect also covers ancillary costs like books and class-related fees. State officials plan to expand the program to more residents in the coming years.

"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," Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega said in a news release.