HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Free community college is now a reality here in Massachusetts thanks to the recent approval of the MassEdcuate program. The program now allows all ages of Bay State residents to attend schools like Holyoke Community College tuition-free.
The students we spoke to said this is a huge benefit not only to them but also to local residents who never thought they could afford college.
“It enables a lot more people to get an education when they otherwise couldn’t afford it. And it also inspires a lot more people to pursue an education, because usually the cost of education is what keeps them from doing it,” Atlas Mata, a freshman at Holyoke Community College, told us.
Governor Maura Healey signed a nearly $58 billion budget bill this summer that includes a crucial policy change: free community college across Massachusetts.
“Our applications have doubled. We have received twice as many applications to college. We are seeing our daily enrollments increase significantly compared to the same period last year,” said Mark Hudgik, dean of strategic recruitment initiatives at Holyoke Community College.
He told us that it can be a difficult decision for some people to attend a community college first before going to a 4-year school. However, Hudgik believes that there are many benefits to attending schools like HCC first.
“The quality of education is outstanding, we have honors programs, we have learning communities, we have students who after two years here are accepted to some of the most selective colleges in the country. So it’s not a sacrifice, it’s really a smart financial decision that allows us a lot more flexibility later on,” Hudgik explained.
We also spoke with some first-year students at HCC who told us that attending a community college not only saves them money, but also gives them the opportunity to learn about different career options.
“When people go to a four-year college, they’re not always 100 percent sure. They’re coming straight out of high school, and a college like HCC gives them a lot of opportunities to look around and figure out what interests them,” Mata said.
Other students told us that the decision to attend community college was easy, especially after being approved by MassEducate.
Freshman Aiden Therien explained, “When you’re going to a four-year college and paying between $15,000 and $30,000 your first year, especially if you don’t know what you want to do for the rest of your life, you have to ask yourself, ‘Do I really want to do this and spend that much money just to figure out what I want to do?'”
If you would like to learn more about MassEducate or MassReconnect, click HERE: https://www.hcc.edu/admission/masseducate
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