NECC President Lane Glenn (third from left) at MassEducate launch.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Qualls, Governor’s Office

Framingham, MA (October 2, 2024) — The Healey-Driscoll Administration, state legislators, local officials, and educators gathered this week to celebrate free community college in Massachusetts. Governor Maura Healey was joined by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Senate President Karen Spilka, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega, community college presidents, and students at MassBay Community College in Framingham to officially launch the MassEducate program.

Building on the first successful year of Governor Healey’s MassReconnect program, which provides free community college to students 25 and older, MassEducate offers all residents who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to attend any of the state’s 15 public community colleges and pay no tuition or fees. Massachusetts now has one of the most accessible, equitable, and comprehensive free community college programs in the country for full-time and part-time students, regardless of income.

“We knew that MassReconnect would be transformative for thousands of students, for our amazing community colleges, and for our economy – and that was only the beginning. This universal free community college program will continue to transform opportunities for students and strengthen our workforce,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Massachusetts’ community colleges are economic drivers, helping students move ahead in their careers and meeting the needs of our employers. We’re grateful to Senate President Spilka, Speaker Mariano, and all of our partners in the Legislature for working with us to create this nation-leading program.”

Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn was on hand for Wednesday’s event, along with NECC colleagues and student leaders.

MassReconnect and MassEducate are having a significant impact on community college enrollment. Since the implementation of these programs just a month ago, enrollment is up nearly 7% at Northern Essex compared to last fall. That number is expected to continue to rise through the start of fall session II classes at the end of October and the spring 2025 semester.

More than 4,500 students statewide received MassReconnect grant awards in the 2023-24 academic year. These new students drove an eight percent overall enrollment growth across Massachusetts community colleges, reversing a decade of decline. Now, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, in partnership with the Legislature, is building on the commitment to make higher education more affordable and accessible, with free community college projected to impact more than 45,000 students this year.

Massachusetts has doubled state spending on financial aid, adding over $200 million in two years. The Fiscal Year 2025 budget designates $392 million to state financial aid, up from $184 million in Fiscal Year 2023. This includes $117.5 million in funding for MassEducate and MassReconnect.

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey and the legislature for Massachusetts’ historic investments in student financial aid, which position us to lead in socioeconomic upward mobility through higher education,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “We also want to thank our community colleges for their partnership in quickly implementing MassEducate so that learners can access it immediately.”

To learn more about free community college NECC, visit the webpage. Informational sessions are held three times each month, both in person and virtually.

MassEducate and MassReconnect are last-dollar financial aid grant awards that are applied to a student’s account after all other state and federal financial aid and grants are applied. All students must complete FAFSA or MFSA, are subject to program guidelines, and must maintain eligibility throughout the course of their studies to continue to receive financial aid.