Mayor Martin Walsh and Governor Charlie Baker have announced a new collaborative pilot program – the Boston Bridge – that will enable income-eligible graduates of Boston high schools to earn both their associate and bachelor’s degrees, entirely free of tuition or mandatory fees. A collaboration between the city’s Tuition-Free Community College Plan and the state’s Commonwealth Commitment program, the Boston Bridge confers the benefits of both programs, with the added bonus that students will owe no mandatory fees in their final two years of college.
At the May 30th press conference, held at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Roxbury, Mayor Walsh spoke directly to many of the students in attendance. He pointed out that policy-makers often come to Roxbury to discuss re-entry programs.
“What this is is an opportunity to all the young people sitting in front of us to change the narrative on your neighborhood and your community and do some great things,” he said.
In addition to its other benefits, the Boston Bridge also expands the Tuition-Free Community College Plan (formerly limited to limited to Boston Public Schools graduates) to include graduates of private and charter schools within the City of Boston.
“We wanted to be able to say to kids in the City of Boston…you can travel a path here that will get you to a two-year or a four-year degree without you having to put money on the table to pull it off,” Gov. Baker said.
Boston Bridge students can attend one of three community colleges – Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, or Roxbury Community College – and then transfer to any UMass campus or Massachusetts state university.
To learn more about the Boston Bridge, including eligibility requirements and application information, see the Boston Bridge webpage on the Tuition-Free Community College Plan portal or the Boston Bridge fact-sheet.
Watch the May 30, 2017 BNN News report below to learn more.