GREENFIELD — As part of her fiscal year 2024 budget proposal, Gov. Maura Healey hopes to fund a new program that would make nearly 1.8 million residents eligible to receive “last dollar support” for a community college education. 

“I think this would be a door-opener for a lot of people,” said Greenfield Community College President Michelle Schutt. “We know the cost of college isn’t just tuition and fees; many people still have a mortgage to pay, still have children and a car to maintain.”

If passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate, Mass Reconnect — a program modeled after similar ones in Michigan and Tennessee — would be open to Massachusetts residents over 25 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, but no college degree. Students must be at least part-time to be eligible. 

“We’ve run the stats on our own students,” Schutt said. “We have about 189 of our current students who would qualify as it’s written at the moment.”

As “last-dollar support,” all other state and federal grants would be applied first, Schutt explained. If a student qualifies for loans, they wouldn’t be required to acquire those first, she noted. 

According to Healey’s campaign website, more than 1.8 million state residents would qualify for Mass Reconnect. Schutt said roughly 700,000 of those people have some college credit but no degree. 

“To me, those are really powerful numbers, as we think about who might want a college degree and how that might elevate them economically,” Schutt said.

The funds would cover any remaining tuition and fees, as well as application and graduation fees and the cost of textbooks and other course materials, according to the proposal. 

“The governor did talk about some wraparound services as well,” Schutt said. “I appreciate she’s looking at this very holistically. We know there are a lot of costs that go into college. However that shakes out, I’m glad that’s a priority to her.”

Schutt said with this proposal, the college “has a real responsibility” to ensure its offers classes that accommodate working professionals. 

“Not only are we going to have to consider how we apply scholarships in different ways, but we’re also going to have to consider what we’re offering and when,” she said. “Those folks may be working a first-shift job and can’t come, or are looking for something they can do on Friday and Saturday, or something they can do in the evenings. We need to make sure our offerings are diverse enough that we can cater to populations that may have additional demands on their resources and time.”

While hopeful for a fall 2023 launch, Schutt emphasized that the program may change direction as it goes through the legislative process. 

“But the way it’s looking now,” she said, “it’s incredibly positive.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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