ATHOL – On Monday morning, state Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler and Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega visited Athol High School to meet with students to raise awareness of free and affordable college in Massachusetts.

The Athol visit was just one of a month-long series of visits being made across Massachusetts to encourage students and families to take advantage of financial aid opportunities.

Before introducing the two state officials, Athol High School Principal David King told Tutwiler, Ortega, and representatives of Mount Wachusett Community College, Fitchburg State University, and L.S. Starrett Company, “We have two programs that mean a lot to me and I think mean a lot to Athol High students. Our Early College Program and Innovation Careers Pathway Program…have met with tremendous success. Our Early College Program has 39 seniors involved in it, and 35 juniors involved in it. We had 35% of our kids going to college just a few years ago, last year that number was 55%.”

“The out-of-pocket expenses to go to Mount Wachusett right now? Tuition and fees – free. Plus, some people might even qualify for a stipend to support the cost of living while they’re going to school,” Tutwiler said.

Upon asking for a show of hands of those who were aware of the free tuition program, fewer than a half-dozen hands went up.

Tutwiler then moved on to the importance of students filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form it they want to go to MWCC.

“That is one requirement to access…tuition and fee-free community college in Massachusetts. The 15 community colleges in Massachusetts all are free, provided you complete the FAFSA form,” he said.

For students looking at a four-year college program, Tutwiler said state universities and the four University of Massachusetts campuses are available.

“How much does it cost to attend one of those schools?” Tutwiler continued. “About $40,000 a year. If you fill out the FAFSA, you could qualify in Massachusetts, depending on the income of your family, for tuition and fee-free access to all nine state universities and the four UMass campuses.”

He added that students from families that earn an adjusted gross income between $70,000 and $100,000 can qualify for a 50% discount on tuition and fees at all state universities.

In response to a question from Tutwiler, Ortega said Massachusetts is going to have a half-billion dollars invested in financial aid.

“Your governor, your Legislature,” Tutwiler continued, “is committed to your success by making community college tuition and fee-free and making four-year schools…more accessible.”

Those in attendance were told that the FAFSA application has been transformed from a paper application that took about an hour and a half to fill out to an online version that can be completed in about 15 minutes.

“Give us some advice,” Tutwiler implored. Suggestions ranged from QR codes to flyers, social media and advertisements, YouTube and TikTok, and – a suggestion that elicited a few smiles and chuckles – getting King to rap on the morning announcements about the in-state college and university opportunities and FAFSA.

Hitting home the financial value of pursuing a college education, Ortega pointed out that, on average, “individuals who get bachelor’s degrees, in their lifetime, make a million dollars more than those who don’t have one.” He also said those who attend college tend to be healthier as their education level goes up.

“You do better, you tend to volunteer more, you tend have a more active social life, you engage in more civic engagement,” said Ortega. “All I wanted to do was to have a better life than I remember the ones my parents had.”

Following the presentation, Tutwiler was asked if he and others in the state Executive Office of Education were preparing for the potential impacts that could come from the Trump administration’s efforts to abolish the federal Department of Education.

“When you look at the current landscape, there’s a lot confusion, there’s a lot of chaos, and there’s a lot of signaling,” he said. “What we want to do is not create any additional confusion or chaos by signaling ‘we know this is going to happen or that is going to happen,’ because we don’t.”

As for the potential impact of federal cuts on free and reduced tuition programs, Tutwiler said, “The doubling of financial aid in Massachusetts and free community college are funded in large part by state dollars. But they are ‘last dollar’ programs, meaning the federal financial aid supports students first and then the state comes in over that. If we don’t have federal support for student financial aid, it will be very challenging to offer the kinds of programs we’re now offering.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.