New Massachusetts free community college provision extends to illegal aliens
Massachusetts enacted a budget bill that enables state residents to attend community college for free, which will also allow illegal immigrants to receive free community college.
Some critics argue that this provision will burden taxpayers and increase costs citizens.
Massachusetts enacted a budget bill that enables state residents to attend community college for free, which will also allow illegal immigrants to receive free community college.
On Monday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a 2025 state budget that will dedicate nearly $100 million toward making college tuition free at the state’s 15 community colleges. The program, Mass Educate, will attempt to bring the state closer to achieving “equity.”
“This budget is a vote of confidence in every Massachusetts resident going to school, raising a family, and working to make ends meet—as well as a blueprint for bringing equity and opportunity to every region and resident of our state,” the governor said following the budget signing.
The bill applies to Massachusetts residents who do not have a bachelor’s degree, which would extend to unlawful migrants, according to NewBostonPost.
As noted by the outlet, various state community colleges like Bristol Community College now feature a web page that states that those eligible for the program include those who “[p]hysically reside in Massachusetts for at least one year, as of the start of the enrolled term,” “[a] U.S. Citizen, permanent legal resident, or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations,” or “[a]n approved ‘High School Completer’ per the Massachusetts tuition equity law.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, Paul Craney, told NewBostonPost that the provision of the new law which allows for illegal aliens to attend community college free-of-charge will harm taxpayers in the state.
“Massachusetts is a magnet state for illegal and inadmissible migrants, due to our very generous taxpayer-funded benefits,” Craney noted. “There is nothing as expensive as making something free, including community college. The cost will inevitably balloon and the taxpayers will forever be obligated to pay for this irresponsible decision.”
“There is nothing more irresponsible than a politician making something ‘free’ and implying to people that someone else will pay for it,” Craney added. “Everyone should have some skin in the game. Continuing to disconnect people from the actual costs of higher education is only going to make it more expensive for everyone in the long run.”
The spokesperson also said that “State House leaders are irresponsible to pursue this.”
Cape Cod Community College, located in southeastern Massachusetts, also has a dedicated web page on its website called “Tuition Equity,” which discusses benefits for undocumented migrants.
The college states that it “is here to help undocumented students by offering enrollment support through guided admissions and financial aid help.” The page also adds that the college’s goal “is to support undocumented students by providing a clear pathway to accessing college and achieving their academic, career, and personal goals.”
Bunker Hill Community College also has a page on its website dedicated to undocumented students, which states that the institution “welcomes applications from all immigrant students, regardless of immigration status.”
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Additionally, the page has a section that discusses the requirements for the state’s “Tuition Equity” provisions and explains to prospective applicants how they might gain access to public funding.
Last year, Massachusetts extended in-state tuition to illegal immigrants in the state.
Campus Reform has contacted Bristol Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, Cape Cod Community College, and Middlesex Community College for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.