Early Returns: Reversing Enrollment Declines in Massachusetts Community Colleges through MassReconnect

Authors: Shaun Dougherty, Morgan Fleming, Joshua Goodman, Yunee H. Yoon

Project Summary

When Massachusetts introduced MassReconnect in 2023, it aimed to reverse a decade of community college enrollment decline by offering free tuition to adults 25 and older. Early results prompted the state to expand the program to all residents through MassEducate, representing a substantial state investment in expanding access. This report analyzes MassReconnect’s first two years, exploring enrollment trends, student demographics, financial aid distribution, and early persistence outcomes. The findings provide insights for policymakers in Massachusetts and other states considering similar free community college initiatives.

Key Findings

• Dramatic increases in enrollment both for the initial target population (25+) as well as overall;
• These increases are especially large (21% in 2023) because they account for projected declines based on prior years’ data
• These enrollment increases are notably larger (3x greater) from enrollment changes in other Northeast states
• Consistent increases across program area, race/ethnicity, gender and campuses, with the majority (71%) of MassReconnect students enrolled part-time rather than full-time
• The majority (83%) of MassReconnect funds went to Pell-ineligible students, even though the policy attracted substantial numbers of new Pell-eligible students, generating $7.4 million in additional federal grant aid to Massachusetts students in 2023
• While MassReconnect recipients showed higher persistence than non-recipients, overall system-wide persistence rates remained unchanged despite the sizeable enrollment increases

Overall, these findings suggest that MassReconnect and MassEducate meaningfully increased access and enrollment in community colleges beyond historical and national trends and is reshaping the age and income composition of the student body across campuses statewide.