Community college helped me feel seen, created opportunities to make connections with instructors and provided me space to work on my education without a sense of shame that I was not prepared for college. I eventually became a professor at MassBay Community College because I want to give other students the same chances. Currently, the weighted average cost of tuition and mandatory fees for in-state students at Massachusetts community colleges is.
When I first went to college, I was not only juggling my work responsibilities, but I was panicking about my ability to pay for needed school supplies — textbooks, computer, transportation. These extra costs have only gotten worse for my students today. As a faculty member, I try hard to require only inexpensive or free items for my students, and they work hard to juggle their work responsibilities, and their desire to earn a higher education.
Free access to a community college education would provide individuals with opportunities to pursue the life they want. Not everyone will want to attend a four-year college or pursue a master’s or doctorate degree, but they will develop skills in reading, writing, critical thinking and analyzing information. Our whole community benefits when individuals have the opportunity to pursue their passion for a new field, or to feel excited about learning new things even after multiple failures.
Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to help students succeed, to help build a more equitable society, to provide access to a free community college education for all. Every day I worry about how to pay off over $200,000 in student loan debt. While none of this is from my undergraduate career, and at this point, a significant portion is from accrued interest, the average student loan debt as of 2022 in Massachusetts was.