Commonwealth Commitment

Commonwealth Commitment Can Help You Achieve the Dream of a College Degree.

Now it’s more affordable than ever for Massachusetts residents to earn a bachelor’s degree. Complete your associate degree at Northern Essex, transfer to UMass or another Massachusetts state university, get your bachelor’s degree and save an average of $5000! 

Use the savings calculator to calculate the estimated savings you should expect when you complete your bachelor’s degree through the Commonwealth Commitment Program. 

Commonwealth Commitment programs currently available at Northern Essex:

• Biology
• Business Management
• Business Transfer
• Criminal Justice
• Early Childhood Education
• General Studies: Art & Design
• Liberal Arts
• Liberal Arts: Journalism and Communication
• Liberal Arts: Psychology

Students Commit to:

• Begin at Northern Essex or one of Massachusetts’ other Community Colleges
• Complete associate degree within 2.5 years
• Transfer to one of Massachusetts’ State Universities or UMass campuses
• Complete bachelor’s degree within 2 more years
• Maintain full time, continuous enrollment and a cumulative 3.0 GPA

Commonwealth Commitment to Students:

• Freeze on all tuition & mandatory fees on program entry (valid until student successfully completes or leaves Commonwealth Commitment Program)
• A 10% rebate off tuition & mandatory fees (payable at the end of every successfully completed semester)
• Additional MassTransfer Tuition Credit upon bachelor’s program entry
• Guaranteed admission (space permitting in major and college)
• Guaranteed transfer of credits
• No application fee or essay
  (MassTransfer Application required by deadline.)

More Information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Search all Commonwealth Commitment associate to bachelor’s (A2B) degree programs.

View complete details of the Commonwealth Commitment to students on the Mass.gov website here.