Moulton co-sponsors legislation to increase college affordability

LYNN – Students from North Shore Community College could benefit from a bill co-sponsored by 6th District U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton that could make higher education more affordable.If enacted, America’s College Promise Act of 2015 would provide eligible students with two years of free tuition for community college.The bill was introduced Wednesday by Moulton and Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia. It is seen as a way to help give low-income students an affordable stepping stone towards a four-year college degree.NSCC President Dr. Patricia A. Gentile believes that giving students the financial ability to attend school will improve community college’s overall success rate. One of the main reasons that students drop out of school, she said, is not because they aren’t smart enough, but because they can’t afford it.”It’s not what in their heads that holds them back, it’s what’s in their pockets,” she said. “This bill would help low-to-middle-income students achieve their goal.”There are close to 7,500 students enrolled at NSCC.”It would create many opportunities for low-income students to complete an education,” said Alexandra Reinoso, who works for Student Financial Services at NSCC. “It would create a pathway for them to go to a four-year institution. The school would get more funding, and it would create a more diverse institution.””I’m proud to be a co-author of America’s College Promise Act,” said Moulton. “A highly educated workforce will be necessary for our nation to compete in the global economy. Today, cost and access are preventing too many Americans who want a higher education from obtaining one.”We can and must do better for the next generation,” said Moulton. “It’s time for our country to make college more affordable and accessible for all. This bill is an important step in that direction.”In order to fund the tuition waiver, $3 would be matched federally for every $1 provided by the state, according to the proposal.Students would automatically qualify for a full-tuition waiver for two years if they enroll in programs that could fully transfer towards a bachelor’s or post-bachelor’s degree at a state school.First-time students who have either recently graduated high school or are pursuing a college degree for the first time would be eligible. They would have to “maintain satisfactory academic progress,” Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of American Association of Community Colleges, said in a letter to members of the AACC.”I think the proposal addresses one of the major issues students have with going to college,” said Gentile. “Every student’s financial situation is different. Being able to go to community college for free, for one, would drastically reduce debt.”We also found that students right out of high school are sometimes not prepared economically to go away to college,” she said. “Going to community college for those first two years not only makes the whole trip more successful but really helps boost self confidence.”We can give them more time, smaller classes. They can get their core classes out of the way and have a great deal of success before going for a bachelor’s degree.”It would also allow students to continue receiving state and federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant, a federal grant given to low-income students, to pay for books, supplies, the cost of commuting and other various expenses.”Free community college will remove the final barrier for the lowest-income students without impacting Pell Grants,” said Gentile.”For many of the lowest-income students, their financial obligation is more than Pell Grants can fund,” she said. While it takes 15 credits each semester to finish a typical associate degree in two years, Pell Grant considers 12 credits to be full-time.”It’s more expensive for them because it’s more semesters to achieve a degree,” Gentile said. “Having both free tuition and the Pell Grant provides them with the funding they need to take 15 credits plus gives them the supp