Hildreth Institute in MassLive

As free community college becomes a reality in Mass. some are excited, others have concerns

This article originally appeared in MassLive.

As universal free community college becomes more likely in Massachusetts, Giana Sosa, a 19-year-old Cape Cod Community College student, said the prospect could make a big difference in her and her peers’ lives.

“I know that would dramatically change my life — just mentally as well. I just wouldn’t have to worry about the extra costs that I have to cover,” Sosa said. Tuition and fees for a full-time student are $7,500 a year, according to Cape Cod Community College’s website.

“I think a lot of people don’t know just the value of ... getting into an academic field because they’re scared of the cost and they don’t want to go through that,” she later added.

For Sosa, who is a first-generation college student, going to Cape Cod Community College has opened doors that she didn’t even know existed.

She said the opportunity to go to community college for free could alleviate the stress about paying for classes and allow her to put her money toward other costs, including car repairs.

Free community college is likely just around the corner in Massachusetts after lawmakers unveiled a $58 billion compromise budget last week that includes authorizing universal tuition-free community college for all state residents.

While many school administrators and policymakers consider the program, known as MassEducate, a good use of funds to help expand student accessibility, some point to problems with the legislation.

Two key critiques focus on the program: It helps high-income students more than low-income students, and community colleges don’t have enough funds or staffing to keep up with the inevitable enrollment increases.

Read more: $58B Mass. budget deal includes free community college, online Lottery sales and more
Lawmakers approved the bill on Friday and sent it to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for her signature.

The compromise budget plan also includes stipends for books and supplies for qualifying students, ranging from $1,200 to $2,400, based on income.

It also expands scholarship aid by more than $177 million, State House News Service reported.

MassEducate, which would provide free community college to all state residents at a cost of $117.5 million a year, is funded by the state’s “Millionaire’s Tax,” a special levy on anyone making $1 million a year or more.

“We see public higher education as instrumental to the state’s workforce. We see it is instrumental to the state’s economy and we see it is an unparalleled engine of equity,” said state Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, D-Hampshire/Franklin/Worcester.

Comerford is also the chairperson of the Joint Committee on Higher Education.

‘Investment in our future’
The MassEducate program follows another initiative by the Healey-Driscoll administration called MassReconnect, which launched in August 2023.

MassReconnect allows residents 25 years and older to obtain a degree or certificate through any public community college tuition-free if they have earned a high school diploma or equivalent and do not have a college degree. Students must also be enrolled in 6 or more credits for an associate degree or certificate and have submitted a FAFSA financial aid applicatioin, according to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.

Since MassReconnect launched, there has been a substantial increase in students at the commonwealth’s 15 community colleges — the first spike in enrollment in nearly a decade.

MassReconnect drew 8,411 students in its first year, driving an 8% overall enrollment increase across the state’s community colleges, the administration said.

At Cape Cod Community College, there was a 14% increase in admissions in fall 2023 and over a 30% increase in spring 2024 compared to the previous year, according to Alex Russo, Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Strategy at the college.

MassReconnect not only drove more students over the age of 25 to enroll at the community college, he said, but also helped open the door to more people being open to the idea of going to or going back to college.

“I think it had a trickle-down effect to ... having people talk about the benefits of community college as a whole,” Russo said.

“Even if a student is unsure whether college is a good fit for them, if it’s free, it removes a barrier to them because they can at least come and earn some credits as college credits don’t expire. And it’s an opportunity for them to at least build some general education credits,” he said.

Enrollment at North Shore Community College in Danvers, increased by about 10% over the previous year, mostly attributed to MassReconnect students, the college said.

In Western Massachusetts, institutions saw similar trends.

At Holyoke Community College, the adult population, those 25 and older, increased from 33% of students in spring 2023 to almost 43% a year later with close to 500 adult students enrolling in the MassReconnect program, according to Mark Hudgik, Dean of Strategic Recruitment Initiatives at Holyoke Community College.

Read more: Healey program gets thousands of Bay Staters 25 years and older into college
To Comerford, MassReconnect’s enrollment offers a look at the exciting prospect of MassEducate.

She said the cost of going to college has been prohibitive for many students and families and sees MassEducate as an “investment in our future” whereby more individuals will graduate college and not only contribute to the workforce and a plethora of vacant jobs but also have better economic, physical and mental health prospects.

Comerford said that she sees the new program as a “lift all boats” proposal whereby four-year institutions may benefit from students transferring from community colleges.

Concerns with MassEducate
Bahar Akman Imboden, managing director and founding member of Boston-based education think tank Hildreth Institute, is supportive of expanding access to education but is critical of where the state is directing its money.

The funding allocation of MassEducate would benefit high-income students over low-income students, Akman Imboden said.

According to research by the Hildreth Institute, high-income students with families making at least $131,000 could receive up to $6,600 (full-tuition) compared to students of families making less than $95,000, who could be given only around $1,200 through MassEducate.

Akman Imboden said this is because low-income students already qualify for other forms of financing including MassGrant Plus and other state and federal aid such as federal Pell Grants.

“It’s not that we are fundamentally against a universal program. It’s more that if we have this argument that we have limited resources, right now we are allocating them disproportionately,” she said.

“We want to acknowledge that these students are at community college level. So probably, they’re not the wealthiest of Massachusetts,” Akman Imboden said. “But what we are trying to say is that they are not the neediest of students.”

She said low-income students face more barriers to accessing higher education and staying in it.

MassEducate should target populations that need the money the most such as by including a larger stipend for low-income students to use for living expenses, Akman Imboden said.

“We want to prioritize aid where it’s most needed,” she said.

Jason Marsala, Dean of Enrollment Services at North Shore Community College, disagreed.

There are many students who fall just short of Pell Grant eligibility criteria who don’t feel comfortable taking out loans and thus don’t go to college, he said.

“If we can do something about that, if we can help those students who are just out of Pell range, for instance, with another way to fund their education, it’s only going to help the commonwealth in the long run,” Marsala said.

Hudgik at Holyoke Community College echoed those thoughts.

Students who attend or look into community college are largely low- and middle-class students, and those students who may not qualify for other grants will be eligible for MassReconnect, he said..

At the same time, Hudgik, Marsala and Akman Imboden agree that community colleges have been stretched thin by MassReconnect and they will only continue to be as more students enroll.

“We think that knowing what happened with MassReconnect, now that this is MassEducate and invites all students to join, we are concerned that especially in high-demand fields, instruction might be very strained,” Akman Imboden said, referring to the Hildreth Institute.

Marsala said MassReconnect was a drain on their resources at North Shore Community College and made them scramble to react to an influx of students.

The institution has since been working on preparing for the potential of MassEducate through a task force that has been interviewing staff and students about their wants and needs from MassReconnect and reactions to the program.

While MassReconnect was an exciting program with expanding enrollment, Marsala said that to keep students engaged and enrolled at the institution, more tutors, faculty, and other support staff will be necessary. He said this will be key to MassEducate’s success.

“I really want this program (MassEducate), I really want it to be successful. And in order for any college education program like this to be successful, it can’t just be about covering the cost for students, the direct cost. You have to think about the services they may need in school,” Marsala said.

One barrier has been filling financial aid staff positions statewide for institutions since the pandemic, he said, placing a strain on the existing employees of the college.

Hudgik is concerned about the strains from the number of potential incoming students attending Holyoke Community College through MassEducate.

“I think it’s a very exciting time for residents of Massachusetts when it comes to higher education and removing one of the biggest either real or perceived barriers. But at the same time now it’s really on the colleges to be able to support those students once they come through our doors,” Hudgik said. “And I think that’s one of our or my biggest concerns is will we be able to meet the demand in the way that is what best serves students?”

Holyoke Community College saw a significant number of inquiries when MassReconnect was announced and expects there to be another influx of students when MassEducate goes through, he said.

“While I’m nervous about what this will look like in the short run, I’m excited that the work that we’ve been doing over the past few years to really be responsive to students has already been taking place and we won’t be starting from ground zero we’ve got a lot of great structural pieces to build on,” he said.