海角大神

Cambridge resident Tyrie Daniel was almost at the finish line when he dropped out of Bunker Hill Community College in 2015.

He just needed 16 more credits to transfer to a four-year school. But life just came hard. His family was scammed, he says, and their Social Security numbers were stolen.

鈥淲hen your stomach keeps growling and you have nothing in your fridge, you can鈥檛 even focus on school,鈥� says Mr. Daniel, who is 33 years old. His family was struggling to pay bills at home and provide for their household of six.聽

The family needed an extra hand. And at the time, he says, 鈥渢he extra hand was me. So I had to choose between school or food on the table.鈥�

With five classes to go, he dropped out. He worked as a cleaner, in his family鈥檚 spice business, and in real estate. More than thrice, he contemplated returning to school. But he couldn鈥檛 reenroll until his overdue fees were paid.

Now, Mr. Daniel is back at Bunker Hill. This time, he is debt-free and his tuition is covered by MassReconnect. The program, which started in 2023, made community college tuition free for Massachusetts residents over 25 who don鈥檛 have a degree. Mr. Daniel says he feels both enormous relief and a new motivation to succeed.

鈥淥ne of the huge benefits of MassReconnect for me is not having that financial pressure,鈥� says the cybersecurity major. 鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 actually back in school to further my career in something that I really am interested in and passionate about.鈥�

This fall, Massachusetts is widening the halls of higher education even further. For the first time, all residents with a high school diploma can attend one of its 15 community colleges for free. Since Tennessee first pioneered tuition-free community college for all in 2017, it has spread rapidly in both red and blue states.

With the launch of MassEducate, the Bay State becomes the 20th to offer tuition-free community college regardless of age, income, or GPA. Another 14 states offer programs targeting specific demographics, such as people over 25, or high-demand majors, such as nursing.聽

鈥淲hen we invest in institutions, in schools and colleges, that pays off in the long run. The cost-benefit ratio, for the individual and the society, is always positive,鈥� says Douglas Harris, chair of the economics department at Tulane University and director of the National Center for Research on Education, Access, and Choice.

Professor Harris says promising universal access to community college 鈥渨ipes away that complexity and the risk and uncertainty that goes with it.鈥�

鈥淕oing to college is complicated,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen people come up against complicated, expensive decisions, they tend to say no. With free community college, you鈥檙e sort of reversing it. When it gets cheaper and simpler, it makes people say yes.鈥�

When states started making community college tuition free, enrollment jumped by 10% and degree completion by 11%, according to a 2020 study by the Federal Trade Commission.

鈥淭his is going to change family trees for generations to come, for the better,鈥� says Nate Mackinnon, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges.

It鈥檚 also coming at a time when sticker shock for four-year schools has never been greater, with tuition alone at institutions such as Northeastern University and Boston University topping $64,000 and $66,000 a year, respectively.

鈥淎s the cost of higher education rises, more families cannot afford private colleges,鈥� says Mr. Mackinnon. 鈥淢ore families are turning to public higher education and discovering that these institutions offer excellent quality at an affordable price.鈥�

Why free tuition now? The Bay State needs workers. Massachusetts has 42 available workers for every 100 open jobs, categorizing its workforce shortage as 鈥渕ost severe,鈥� according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, 700,000 residents have some college credits but no degree.

鈥淭he shape of the labor force is different and the need for training is strong,鈥� 鈥嬧�媠ays Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College. 鈥淲hen you think about how you provide an on-ramp for the next generation of workers in this Commonwealth, we are the linchpin.鈥�

In MassReconnect鈥檚 first year, 2023-24, some 8,411 students enrolled through MassReconnect. That was a 45% increase in students over 25 from the previous academic year. Overall, the program reversed a decadelong decline in the state鈥檚 community college system 鈥� bumping enrollment up 9% in one year.

As of this August, with the launch of MassEducate, total enrollment is up another 20% compared with last year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like the advertising value of free college is giving you a pretty big bang for your buck,鈥� says David Deming, an economist from the Harvard Kennedy School whose research focuses on higher education and the future of the labor market.聽

The programs are considered 鈥渓ast dollar scholarships,鈥� meaning they are applied after federal aid reduces tuition and fees for most students.聽

The challenge in the long term is maintaining the quality of education with more students. 鈥淚f local colleges themselves are not getting any extra funding to accommodate the influx, the quality of the service itself might decline if the same resources are more thinly [spread] over more students,鈥� says Professor Deming.聽

鈥淢oney was a big concern鈥�

For recent high school graduates like Erick Peguero, free tuition means his family can save money while he takes classes in the hopes of transferring to a four-year program.聽

鈥淢oney was a big concern going into college, and I was considering a gap year,鈥� says Mr. Peguero as he signs up for classes at Bunker Hill Community College on a recent August morning. His sister is already attending the University of Massachusetts Boston.

When he graduated from Brooke High School in June, Mr. Peguero didn鈥檛 have plans to go to college this fall. It wasn鈥檛 that the resident of the Dorchester neighborhood wasn鈥檛 interested, but his family lives in Section 8 low-income housing. When community college became free last month, he jumped at the chance to continue his education.聽

鈥淚 want to set myself up where I can have a future in four years. So this is definitely a huge opportunity for me,鈥� says Mr. Peguero. The high school MVP plans to study electrical engineering and play baseball for the Bunker Hill Bulldogs.

The state set aside $117 million in the budget for MassEducate to build on MassReconnect. Both programs are funded by the 鈥渕illionaires鈥� tax,鈥� a 4% surtax on incomes over a million dollars.

鈥淭his will open up doors for so many more students,鈥� says Mr. Mackinnon. 鈥淏ut at the same time, there鈥檚 a bit of trepidation about how we鈥檒l handle all the students coming through the door.鈥�

Will more students mean more resources?

Klevans Lehens, 45, says he鈥檚 living proof that it鈥檚 never too late to go back to school.聽

In the early 2000s, Mr. Lehens, an EMT from Boston, opted to join the workforce to provide for his son instead of pursuing a degree. For the past two years, he鈥檚 been taking classes at Roxbury Community College (RCC).聽

He believes that making tuition free offers a second chance. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing for those who actually want to follow their dream. For me, it鈥檚 a sign I鈥檓 on the right path,鈥� says Mr. Lehens.

He says he and his son are now attending college at the same time 鈥� his son has a full ride scholarship to a Florida university.聽

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the beauty of life,鈥� says Mr. Lehens in the courtyard at RCC. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not always going to get it the first time, but you can always try again.鈥�

At Roxbury, the recent surge in enrollment is expected to strain existing resources aimed at supporting students. RCC has on-campus wellness programs, tutoring programs, a food pantry, and an emergency gap fund to help students cover basic needs. Other community colleges also provide child care services.聽

鈥淧roviding support beyond the classroom is key to improving student retention and completion,鈥� says Luciano Ramos, executive director of the Center for Economic and Social Justice at RCC. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to offering programs and innovations that support our students holistically.鈥澛�

It鈥檚 unclear if these services 鈥� which are expected to see increased demand 鈥� will receive more funding. Mr. Mackinnon also is concerned about instructors鈥� salaries.

鈥淵ou can get a better starting salary as a high school teacher in most cities and towns in the commonwealth,鈥� he says.聽

But some community college leaders say they welcome the challenges that more students in classes bring.

鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting my entire professional life for this moment,鈥� says Ms. Eddinger. 鈥淚鈥檒l be damned if I鈥檓 going to turn anyone away. Because if I turn somebody away now, where it takes so much for them to come to me, they may not come back.鈥�