State education leaders promote free college and influx of state aid to Mass. high schoolers

Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler returned to his old stomping grounds last week as he rolled out the state's latest initiative to help college seekers apply for financial aid.

The former superintendent of Lynn Public Schools met with two dozen juniors at Lynn Classical High School to help demystify the financial aid process as they prepare to start their college applications.

The first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, or FAFSA, Tutwiler told the crowd.

"The research tells us, ninety-two percent of people who complete the FAFSA actually go (to college)," he said. "We just want people to fill it out. And we want them to go. We want them to access all those dollars."

State officials are trying to encourage more students to apply for — and enter — higher education. Helping them secure financial aid is a first step toward that goal, according to Tutwiler.

“We need some help because not enough people are accessing this wonderful opportunity to move on to the next step of realizing their dreams at little or no cost,” Tutwiler said.

The visit kicked off the state's “Higher Ed Financial Aid Road Show,” a monthlong campaign to encourage students in districts with historically low FAFSA completion rates to fill out the form, which unlocks state and federal aid.

Other planned stops over the next month include high schools in Springfield, Plymouth, New Bedford and Brockton.

The campaign comes following a $400 million boost in state funding to cover free tuition at community college and state universities for eligible students.

Programs such as MassEducate and MassReconnect allow students to attend any community college for free in Massachusetts. And students from households making under $85,000 a year can attend any of the state’s public universities, including the four UMass schools, tuition-free through the MassGrant Plus program.

Community college leaders have said the new programs helped fuel enrollment to their schools, driving an overall increase in state residents attending public higher ed in 2024.

Still, Tutwiler said he needs students to help spread the word to classmates about the affordable programs — and take the first step toward determining eligibility.

Angelique Rivera, junior class president at Lynn Classical, said she'd leverage her role to help inform her classmates about the financial options available.

“ I feel like a lot of people don't realize what financial aid can do for you,” she said. “They were talking about how you can literally go to college — like Salem State [University] — for zero amount and then you can even get some back to help with your books and the dorms and getting food and all that."

The push by state officials follows a frustrating financial aid season for students and parents in 2024. The U.S. Department of Education botched the rollout of its new FAFSA process, creating challenges for many students seeking financial aid for the 2024-25 school year.

Amid the delays and glitches, FAFSA applications among first-time applicants dropped by 9%, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Some of the largest declines were reported among low-income students.

So far, few problems have been reported with the updated FAFSA form that was released for students attending college this fall.

Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega said the process this year is simpler and that students have more resources — such as college access and career advisors and websites.

But some organizations that assist with college preparation, such as La Vida Scholars in Lynn, say it can still be a time-consuming process for students.

“Gathering information is one thing, filling out the form is another thing, scheduling the time to do it is another thing,” said Channa Srey, director of programs at La Vida Scholars.

“On top of all that, there’s potentially some misinformation that is out there," Srey added, referring to the recent chaos generated by the Trump administration’s threats to freeze federal funding.

Tutwiler said the state is committed to making sure students have all the accurate information they need.

“We don't want to guess about the next steps that the (federal) administration might take,” Tutwiler said, “but we're ready to support students in any way that we can.”