NEC Member Announce Plan to Increase College Affordability

Officials in Massachusetts recently announced a new program to help make college more affordable for students in the commonwealth. Under the Commonwealth Commitment plan, students would be able to earn a Bachelor’s Degree at one of the many public schools in the state – including several New England Council members – for a reduced rate.

Students participating in the new MassTransfer Commonwealth Commitment plan would spend their first two years of college at one of the many community colleges in Massachusetts, including NEC members Northern Essex Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, and Massasoit Community College. They would then be able to transfer to one of the public colleges or universities in the commonwealth – including Council members Westfield State University, Fitchburg State University, Worcester State University, Framingham State University, Salem State University, Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and UMass campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell – to complete the final two years of their undergraduate studies. Students who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and remain on track to graduate in four years would be eligible for a ten percent tuition rebate at the end of every semester.

“This program was designed to decrease the cost of a college degree and accelerate on-time completion for students across the Commonwealth, creating more opportunities and helping more people get into the workforce with the skills they need,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. “The Commonwealth Commitment will make it even easier for students to go to school full-time and begin their careers with less debt and we are pleased that our higher education officials have worked collaboratively to make this program a reality.”

The New England Council commends the work that these members are doing to make a college education more accessible for all students.

Read more in The Boston Globe.

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