About 13,000 community college students in New Jersey will be able to attend college tuition-free in the coming year through a pilot program announced by Gov. Phil Murphy.
Thirteen community colleges in the state have been selected to participate in the Community College Innovation Challenge, which will cover tuition and educational fees for qualifying students, starting in January. Each of the colleges will receive $250,000 for outreach, recruitment and support, and to build capacity to expand the program.
“Making community college tuition free will help New Jersey’s young people and working adults earn postsecondary degrees to advance their careers, and it will help build the talented workforce that is the engine of our state’s economy,” said Murphy, who on Thursday announced the selected colleges at an event at Union County College, which is one of the colleges.
Applying students must take six or more credits for the spring semester and maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain in the program.
Community college leaders in the state applauded the new grants.
“With this program, Governor Murphy has sent a clear message that community colleges remain integral to the education and workforce development priorities in our state,” said Michael Redmond, president of Bergen Community College. “His leadership in supporting community colleges will help usher in a new era of opportunities for New Jersey students and working families.”
Leveraging resources
The grants are “last dollar,” meaning the will cover any remaining costs of tuition and fees after applying all other federal and state financial aid a student receives. For the spring 2019 pilot, students from families with adjusted gross incomes up to $45,000 will be eligible for the grants.
In New Jersey, the average in-state tuition for a full-time (30 credits) students in 2017-18 was $3,853 and $1,043 in required fees. For part-time (12 credits) students, the average tuition was $1,561 and fees were $427. Although the $6,095 maximum award for a Pell Grant for 2018-19 can cover tuition and fees for many students in need, there are others who for varying reasons aren’t able to secure a grant to cover those expenses.
Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has comprehensive financial aid programs through which 83 percent of students receive assistance, according to the college. The college’s foundation and the county also provide more than $500,000 in scholarships annually. But there’s still a need.
“Thousands of HCCC students struggle every day with balancing full-time employment, full-time studies and caring for their families,” said HCCC President Chris Reber. The new pilot program “will go a long way in easing their burdens and providing a free and accessible education to thousands of continuing and new students next spring.”
