The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate stepped up for students and voted to approve a final FY22 budget that doubles the state’s funding for Early College.  The Legislature’s budget includes $5 million for the Early College Programs line item and $6 million for the Dual Enrollment Grant and Subsidies line item, the amount we vigorously supported.

We are grateful to House and Senate members, the students, district and higher education administrators and educators, business, community, and political leaders all across the state that raised their voices in support of Early College and helped to make this happen.

This is an important victory for the students of the Commonwealth as well as many of our school districts and their partner higher education institutions that are seeking to grow or launch Early College programs. The increase in funding will enable Early College programs to put many more students on a pathway to earning the two- or four-year degree that provides economic mobility and security, and that helps close wage and wealth gaps in our state.  We look forward to the Governor signing off on these items.

We hope you will continue to join us in pushing for expansion of Early College in communities across the state.  Districts can apply for state designation in August for programs that would launch in fall of 2022.  For more information about the designation process contact the Early College Program Director at Kristin.Hunt@doe.mass.edu.

While we celebrate this important victory, we also know we have more work to do to bring the tremendous opportunity that Early College affords to many more students and communities across the state.  Early College is not a program; it is a strategy that we can use to improve educational and economic equity.