Every year, hundreds of thousands of students enroll in the Massachusetts Community College system to prepare to transfer to a four-year college. Students take advantage of this affordable opportunity to significantly reduce their student loan debt by first completing a two-year program at a community college.
Massachusetts Community Colleges structure their degree programs to ensure that credits transfer to a four-year public or private college or university. Massachusetts Community Colleges also have a special arrangement with Massachusetts State Universities and the University of Massachusetts that can guarantee acceptance to students who fulfill course requirements and maintain a satisfactory grade point average.
Transferring from a Community College to a Public Institution
The Commonwealth Commitment Program
The Commonwealth Commitment program allows students to start out at a Community College and transfer to one the state universities or UMass for specific programs at a reduced cost.
The program offers a freeze on tuition and mandatory fees for all four years upon entry into the program. Students in the program will receive a 10% rebate off tuition & mandatory fees, payable via check or bookstore voucher at the end of every successfully completed semester (of 15 credits). Students must begin at one of the 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges, complete an associate degree within 2.5 years, transfer to one of the Massachusetts State Universities or UMass campuses, complete a bachelor’s degree within 2 more years, maintain continuous enrollment and a cumulative 3.0 GPA throughout the program.
Please note only specific academic programs qualify for tuition discounting through the Commonwealth Commitment. Full program eligibility and details on tuition discounts and requirements are updated on the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s website.
MassTransfer Program
The MassTransfer program enables students enrolled at any of the Commonwealth’s 15 Community Colleges to transfer their core credits to a four year public higher education institution within the State University and UMASS System.
MassTransfer not only allows the student’s credits to transfer, it also makes sure that they will not have to backtrack and repeat overlapping courses at four year institutions. This is one of the many ways that Massachusetts is working to make college affordable.
Transferring from a Community College to a Private Institution
Massachusetts’ Community Colleges also have relationships with many private colleges and universities in New England and beyond, so transferring has never been easier. These agreements are designed to help students obtain baccalaureate degrees in specific fields. As always, consult your advisor to make sure that you maintain a track to qualify for one of these programs should you intend to transfer.
Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee
The Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee is a partnership agreement between the state’s community colleges and private colleges and universities. Students can complete an associate degree at a Massachusetts Community College and transfer to a participating four-year independent college in the state with guaranteed admission. For more information, including participating institutions and student eligibility visit the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s website.