LYNN — For those 25 or older looking to get into a college classroom, North Shore Community College is offering classes for free starting this fall.
“One of the biggest challenges is affordability,” NSCC President William Heineman said. “So this really opens up a great opportunity.”
The program, MassReconnect, was included in the Commonwealth’s fiscal year 2024 budget. It will allow students who have not previously received degrees of any kind to enroll in and pursue a degree or certificate program at any public community college if they enroll in at least six credits per semester.
According to Heineman, the program opens up free educational opportunities, in any of the school’s programs, for students that have historically been a huge part of the college’s population.
“Even before this program came along we have had lots of people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even older,” Heineman said.
Kathy Charros, of Lynn, is 71 years old and said she was excited to find out about the program and the opportunity it presents for people to further their education later in life.
“People think that life is over at 50 or 60,” Charros said. “I did believe that… but it’s not.”
Charros said she was excited by the opportunities that the program will allow her to pursue.
“I never got the opportunity to be involved in any programs that didn’t cost an arm and a leg,” Charros said. “You don’t really see stuff like this. So when you do, you need to jump on it.”
Heineman said this program will erase one of the biggest hurdles students have had to overcome to pursue higher education.
“We work with lots of students who are literally scraping together the last hundred dollars to pay for a course,” Heineman said. “Every dollar matters to those students.”
According to Heineman, the program will also be a boon for the local economy by creating a more educated workforce.
“It’s a great opportunity for those potential new students as individuals, but it’s a huge opportunity for the local economy and for businesses as well,” he said.
Heineman said students can take advantage of the MassTransfer program to pursue bachelor’s degrees at four-year states schools, like the University of Massachusetts or Salem State University. However, those expenses will not be paid for by MassReconnect.
Prospective students still have the opportunity to register for classes starting in the fall, and can do so on the school’s website.
Heineman encouraged students to learn more about the program by calling the school or visiting NSCC information sessions.
