Boston Mayor Marty Walsh Announces Free Community College Tuition Plan
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has announced a plan to provide free tuition to either of the city's two community colleges for all graduates of Boston's public high schools.
The program announced Friday has already launched at Madison Park Vocational-Technical High School and will be rolled out city-wide on June 1.
"This is an unbelievable experience for the students of Boston to go and get trained at a community college, enter our workforce and have middle-class jobs in Boston for long-term," Ross Wilson, Chief Innovation Officer for Boston Public Schools told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
"We're just thrilled Mayor Walsh and his team have been able to provide this opportunity for our students."
To be eligible, students must graduate with at least a 2.2 GPA, be able to complete community college in two years, meet low-income status for Pell Grants, and gain admission to either Bunker Hill Community College or Roxbury Community College.
The program will be funded by The Neighborhood Jobs Trust, which collects fees from large-scale commercial developments.
Walsh says the most effective way to break down social and financial barriers facing many Boston families is to make post-secondary education more accessible.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mary Blake reports
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