FRAMINGHAM - Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey was on hand for an event at Massachusetts Bay Community College’s campus along Franklin Street in Framingham on Wednesday, October 2, to highlight a statewide program that makes public community college free for students of all ages and income levels in the state.

The event at the Center for Health Sciences, Early Childhood, and Human Services showcased MassEducate, which was recently passed by the state legislature and signed by Healey. The fiscal year 2025 budget in Massachusetts allocates $93.5 million for MassEducate. With that money, the program covers tuition and fees, while some students could qualify for upwards of $1,200 in allowance for books and supplies. Some could also qualify for another allowance of up to $1,200 for additional costs.

Eligible students must live in the state for at least a full year, must have a high school diploma or an equivalent certification, and must complete the FAFSA or MASFA applications, among other qualifications.

“What is so beautiful about this program is that now, this can change the life course—the trajectory—for those individuals, and with that: their kids, their families, whole generations,” Healey said during Wednesday’s press conference in Framingham.

MassEducate’s establishment over the summer comes following the unveiling of MassReconnect at MassBay’s campus in Wellesley last year. MassReconnect provides free community college to Massachusetts students 25 and older.

Healey said on Wednesday that while 4,500 students have taken advantage of MassReconnect since it was unrolled, 10,000 students have been assisted by MassEducate in its first semester—with state projections expecting 45,000 students being involved in the program within the next year.

“Behind every one of those individuals is a family and is an opportunity that’s going to result in growth for them individually, and also economic growth for our state,” Healey continued.

“These are the kinds of investments that we want to make.”

One of those students is 18-year-old Framingham resident and first-year student at MassBay Grace Arena, who graduated from Keefe Tech in May and now plans to major in the nursing field. Arena was one of multiple students to partake in a roundtable discussion with Healey and other state officials prior to the press conference on Wednesday to talk about how access to community college has benefitted them.

Arena called MassEducate “life-changing” for her future prospects and the financial outlook for herself and her family.

“I wasn’t going to need to stress about how much I had to work each week just to be able to pay for school,” Arena said during the press conference.

“I could put it aside and really experience what college was all about.”

To learn more about MassEducate, click here.