free community college<\/a> through the MassEducate and MassReconnect programs. That decision has opened the doors to hundreds of students locally, which has contributed to our enrollment growing by 23% since those programs were introduced.\u201d<\/p>\nThe gathering included discussions on the impacts of free community college, Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs, workforce development opportunities, and housing options for students.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity colleges continue to be one of the best investments our state can make into our future success,\u201d said Nate Mackinnon, Executive Director of the MA Association of Community Colleges. \u201cOur students graduate with necessary credentials, without debt, allowing them to successfully enter the workforce and maintain a quality of life that all residents deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legislators attending included State Senator Barry Finegold and State Representatives Ryan Hamilton, Kristin Kassner, Frank Moran, Francisco Paulino, Adrianne Ramos, and Andy Vargas. State Senator Pavel Payano and State Representative Tram Nguyen were represented by staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity Colleges are an essential vehicle for equipping our residents with the tools and skills to thrive in the modern economy,\u201d said Senator Finegold. \u201cNorthern Essex represents the standard for that service, and we\u2019re lucky to have that right here in the Merrimack Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthern Essex Community College is always working to make the educational experience better for its students,\u201d said State Representative Kristin Kassner. \u201cI’m always impressed by their innovative approaches from early college through career pathways, and their commitment to ensure that students build strong relationships to succeed. \u201c<\/p>\n
Glenn was joined by several staff, faculty, and Trustees in discussing what a robust community college experience has meant for area students.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnrollment is up by over 1,000 students since 2022,\u201d said Glenn. \u201cLast spring, we handed out over 500 associate degrees, and 229 were because of the MassEducate and MassReconnect programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
MassReconnect is a state program providing free tuition, fees, and books for residents aged 25 and older to attend any of the state’s 15 public community colleges; while MassEducate is a state program providing free tuition and fees for all residents\u2014regardless of age or income\u2014enrolled in public community colleges. Both are funded through the additional Massachusetts income tax levied on incomes over $1 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cMassachusetts\u2019 free community college programs enabled me to return to school and finally earn my degree,\u201d said 2025 Student Commencement Speaker Mike McDougal, of Haverhill, who joined the delegation for their meeting. \u201cThis matters more than ever in today\u2019s uncertain job market.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see how students from across our region are accessing the resource that is Northern Essex Community College,\u201d said Representative Ramos. \u201cWe hear all the time about the growing cost of higher education, and the reality is that in the Merrimack Valley, our students have access to a quality option that doesn\u2019t have to be a financial burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
The morning\u2019s conversation included a discussion about current and future partnerships that NECC is building with Greater Lawrence Technical High School and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Merrimack Valley, like the rest of Massachusetts and the nation, is seeing a spike in interest from younger students looking for Career and Technical Education options,\u201d said Glenn. \u201cWe at NECC are always looking for ways in which we can support our high school partners, including by offering complementary programming to help support the growing interest in the education they offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe growing interest in Career and Technical Education is a reflection of the evolving economy,\u201d said Representative Vargas. \u201cCommunity colleges are embracing this evolution \u2013 with NECC leading the way \u2013 giving residents of all ages access to a meaningful education that yields a bright future for them as members of a changing workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I really value about Northern Essex is that they\u2019re always considering the needs of their students, adjusting programming as the economy changes, all to maximize the impact on helping their students succeed,\u201d said Representative Paulino.<\/p>\n
Learn more about free community college by visiting the webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Haverhill, MA (March 13, 2026) \u2014 \u00a0State legislators from across the Merrimack Valley convened at the Haverhill campus of Northern Essex Community College (NECC) recently to discuss the impact of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":32823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[681,756],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile","category-campus-community"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n