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Community college is now free for Mass. residents 25 and older. Millions qualify

https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/24/healey-massachusetts-massreconnect-higher-education-cost-free-students

Despite a broad potential scope, “MassReconnect” program is expected to start out small, helping around 8,000 students in its first year. But Healey presented it as part of her administration’s broader reinvestment in public higher education, after years of flat or declining state support.

Community college is now free for Mass. residents 25 and older. Millions qualify

36 comments

driving_crooner

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Why 25 and older? Why not give it for free to everyone who wants it?

Puzzle_Sluts_4Ever

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Riven

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It's unfortunate but at least it's a step forward. Who knows maybe in a couple years the people can vote to just have it free for all ages.

Pistcow

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Be like me where my parents made too much but wouldn't support me so I had to wait until 25 to get my AA because of the bulkshit fafsa income rules.

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A 2 year degree if you go full time.

If you're working and only going to school part time, you still pay the administrative fees every semester, and the more credits you have, the higher you get charged per credit hour.

A quick Internet search tells me that anywhere from $5K-$10K is average for community college. Also, they never said they went to community college, only that they had an associates.

Hazdaz

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LrdThndr

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PunnyName

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Because it's actually easier to get financial aid if you're under 25.

Almost everything gets cut off at 25.

evatronic

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Including Pell Grants which is absolutely free federal funding for schools, which tends to pay almost entirely for a community college degree, with plenty left over. This year, for instance the maximum is a little over $6,800.

The average cost of a community college tuition, fees, etc. is aorund $3,000 - $4,500 this year, depending on how you slice the data.

PunnyName

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Kinda. I still got Pell grants into my 30s. Only reason they stopped for me is because I capped out.

wrath-sedan

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That’s a great point.

wrath-sedan

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There is a bill in the works called the CHERISH Act in Massachusetts that would allow all residents to graduate community college debt-free (note not actually free just support people enough they don’t go into debt).

Mass Reconnect (the program in the article) was created from 20 million dollars taken from the new Mass millionaires’ tax. CHERISH is estimated to cost about 500 million (a great investment but definitely a scale of magnitude larger)

I think what’s crazy about CHERISH is that it would raise state investment in each student just to the level seen in 2001. Crazy how much even states like Mass have cut education funding in the last 20 years.

Ubermeisters

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probably the only way banking lobbyists would allow it to pass, they still need the most vulnerable chunk of the age groups going to college, and the lion's share of them.

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On the education side, Healey is proposing to use the surtax money to pay for $100 million in child care grants to providers, $140 million in higher education capital funding, the $20 million free community college program the governor outlined earlier Wednesday, a $93 million expansion of a state scholarship program, a $59 million effort to stabilize tuition and fees at UMass and other public higher education institutions, and more.

the_mullet

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espentan

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Holy cow, America introducing new taxes for the 1%.. never thought I'd see the day.

Good to see the money being spent well.

transmatrix

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FTA: "and without a prior postsecondary degree" - So, if you already have a bachelors or associates degree you're out of luck.

papalonian

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Tbf this is how it works in my state (California) and I'd assume many others with a similar program. They don't want people that already have a degree (and thus potential for a higher paying job) coming in and inflating the program's cost.

PeleSpirit

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Cannibal_MoshpitV3

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Honestly if I ever have kids I'm going to tell them that they can be whatever they want but they need to take a realistic look at the job market. Just be prepared to have shitty jobs to help support themselves if what they want to do won't pay as much or be as available to them, or maybe be prepared to switch careers if they change their mind.

SpacemanSpiff

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This is also how it works in Connecticut. While it may not be perfect, I don’t think it’s entirely unfair. It has the effect of a being a progressive social policy this way in that it is available for those who don’t already have it. Someday it like it to be carte blanche to everyone, but states doing this way is a solid start.

FlyingSquid

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An educated populace is good for the economy. Too bad they don't realize that here in Indiana.

All public education should be subsidized.

Melkath

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So they acknowledge that education should be free, but they also insist on saddling the youngest with life destroying debt.

Jesus christ...

Stoney_Logica1

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Baby steps, bud. We're not going to fix all the issues in one fell swoop.

Melkath

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I feel you.

Some will be educated and some will be better off with callused hands.

It's still wholesale horse shit for the old people to reap benefits at the cost of the young.

Far too many old shits without callouses getting cheap to free education never having generated value and far to many kids being denied their ability to generate value so they can form callouses.

Community College should be free. Just make it fucking free.

imaqtpie

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Stupid sexy Massachusetts

PP_BOY_

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Even my shithole state of Tennessee has had free community college for almost a decade. It's wild seeing some of the "good" states getting the same thing this far down the line.

Phegan

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The people's Republic of Massachusetts strikes again.

Context. I have lived in Massachusetts my entire life and I am very happy with the direction of the state.

drewisawesome14

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circuitfarmer

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Not perfect but a step in the right direction.

Waiting for California to actually follow suit. UC and CSU were free to residents until things changed under Reagan (Governor, before he was President).

GiddyGap

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Mass is just doing so many things right compared to most other states. Still a long way to go to European standards, but it's a step in the right direction.

tallwookie

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millions might qualify but with only $20 million in funding, millions wont be attending.

Millie

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Wow! I think I'll go back to school!

LordOfTheChia

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Just try to behave yourself, Mr. Melon.

Millie

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Mr_Pap_Shmear

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So I only know the term "community college" from community. But i just always assumed since they are public that they would be free? Like what else makes them communal?

Impulsivedoorholder

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So the community colleges in America are basically just for individuals that can't afford a university or can qualify to get into a university.

But generally it all costs money and you'll end up with student loans. This state had passed a "millionaires tax" and so far they have now made community college free and gave all students in the state free school lunches, cuz we also charge kids to eat at our public schools.

drcabbage

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Community college is usually much cheaper than traditional 4 year college. They are only 2 years and you work towards an associate's degree instead of a bachelor's degree.

I went to a community college before going to a 4 year so I could accomplish all the core credit classes for cheaper and then transfer them to a 4 year.

shinyLane

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Another benefit I enjoy from a community college is the smaller class sizes (relative to a university) when taking these core classes.

mwguy

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Generally in addition to purely academic programs. Community colleges will offer more practical adult education programs that don't tie into a traditional academic pursuit.

For example the community college in my hometown SCC offered a series of courses designed to teach you how to drive a semi and prep you for your CDL. They offer a lot of those sort of programs in addition to the common Associates (2yr) degrees that can be transfered to a 4 year university if desired.

shinyLane

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As an individual returning to school after working for 15 years, a community college was on my list with online schools (they also have an online community college, of course) as the price of it is much lower than a university. If it were free for younger folks, that would be an incredible incentive to learn a trade.

Where I live (N. Colorado), a community college's cost can get rather steep. If you take eight credit hours, you could pay $1500+ just for the classes, and you may buy books. That's a typical out-of-pocket for a local school here, so you may get a grant, program, or scholarship to help you, but yeah, it's hard...