Bridgewater State University Announces Free Tuition For Students In Fall 2025
December 11, 2024
In order to qualify, students must be Massachusetts residents, have a household income of $125,000 or less, be a full-time undergraduate student, and have completed a FAFSA
After Massachusetts made community college free for anyone in the state enrolled in a public community college through its MassEducate program, Bridgewater State University has decided to incorporate a similar program beginning in the Fall semester of 2025.
According to Bridgewater State University’s official website, the university is rolling out its program with minimal qualifications.
In order to qualify, students must be Massachusetts residents, have a household income of $125,000 or less, be a full-time undergraduate student, and have completed a FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year.
According to US News & World Report, tuition at the university is $11,808 for Massachusetts residents and $17,948 for out-of-state students, which makes them one of the more affordable colleges; the national average for in-state tuition is $12,201.
Per reporting from Boston.com, other Massachusetts universities like MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) and Brandeis have previously made similar commitments to waive tuition for students whose families earn less than certain thresholds.
According to Bridgewater State President Frederick Clark Jr, “This initiative represents a transformative moment for our university and the communities we serve.”
In an interview following the university’s announcement, Laura Biechler, the head of financial aid at the university, told the outlet, “I think the ultimate goal is that when a student comes to school, they don’t have to think about finances,” Biechler said. “They’re there to learn and get their education and be able to move up in the socioeconomic ladder.”
Biechler also described the roots of the program, which go back to 2020, when the university was trying to find a way to make its financial aid packages more inclusive for students.
“The state and the feds had turned a lot of attention to support for Pell Grant groups, and of course, that was our first priority,” Biechler explained. “But then we moved beyond the students eligible for Pell Grants, with an understanding that students above the Pell Grant range may have more resources but are still in dire need of additional assistance.”
She continued, “For us to be able to announce something that’s inclusive, that goes far beyond the group of students we know has resource issues, that is truly for the middle class, is such an accomplishment.”
According to CCDaily, the impact of Massachusetts’ free community college program, which Bridgewater State University participated in through the CONNECT partnership, has been a 15% increase in enrollment and a 20% increase in students at community colleges transferring to four-year universities.
According to CONNECT partnership CEOs, a group of presidents and chancellors at Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Massasoit Community College, and UMASS-Dartmouth, the program removes barriers to higher education.
“By eliminating tuition and fees, Massachusetts has opened doors for thousands of students who once saw higher education as unattainable. This initiative has been particularly impactful for low-income students and first-generation college attendees,” the CEOs wrote. “Enrollment among underrepresented groups has increased by nearly 30% since the launch of free community college, demonstrating the program’s critical role in promoting equity.”
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