Gov. Maura Healey held a news conference on Thursday to announce the launch of MassReconnect, her administration's program to provide free community college for Massachusetts residents age 25 and older.
"Backing these folks is the most important investment we can make for our workforce, for our economy" and for making the Bay State more affordable and equitable, Healey said at a news conference at MassBay Community College's Wellesley Hills Campus.
About 8,000 people are expected to take advantage of MassReconnect in its first year, Healey said — two of them teared up at the news conference as they spoke about what it means to them.
One woman said she felt like the program was heaven-sent — Danita Mends had to take a break from getting an interior design degree at MassBay, following her passion, when she had a child, and now it will be covered. After graduating Needham Public Schools, the Roxbury resident, now 38, couldn't finish college over the cost, then found in the corporate world that she wasn't able to take advantage of opportunities because of a lack of a degree.
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"I got called and was told that I was eligible for this program, which is going to be life-changing for me," Mends said.
Healey was joined by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, Senate President Karen Spilka, Department of Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega, MassBay President David Podell and other community college leaders, elected officials and students.
The governor included $20 million in funding for her free community college program in her state budget proposal, submitted back in March. Each of the state's 15 community colleges was also receiving $100,000 to promote and administer the program.
She said when it was announced that the MassReconnect program would be for state residents 25 years old and older who have not earned a college degree or an industry credential. The program would offer students last-dollar support to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies, as well as services that would help achieve degree completion.
The program could potentially give 1.8 million Massachusetts residents who have a high school diploma or something equivalent the opportunity to get a degree. It also could help to bring students back who already have some college credits completed.
According to the governor's office, there were nearly 696,000 Massachusetts residents who had some college credits, but hadn't finished a degree, as of July 2020. The majority of those people were over 25, the governor's office said.
“Workforce shortages have impacted nearly all sectors of our economy, but we have an incredible opportunity before us to train the next generation of workers and increase opportunities for all,” Healey said in March. “The MassReconnect program, as well as the other investments in education and workforce development that we call for in our budget, will be transformative for hundreds of thousands of our residents. More students than ever before will be able to advance or complete their educations and set themselves up for a successful career in in-demand industries like health care, engineering, advanced manufacturing and tech.”
