On Wednesday the president of the Massachusetts Senate Karen Spilka called for community college to be free for state residents, according to local media reports. 

The Democrat Spilka argued tuition-free would make higher education more accessible and could help Massachusetts strengthen its workforce and shrink its racial wealth gap, WBUR reported.

According to Higher Ed Dive, a 2022 poll of U.S. residents and parents from Education Next —  an education research journal — found that 84% of Democrats support making community college free, compared to 44% of Republicans. 

In the 2023 fiscal year, annual tuition and mandatory fees for Massachusetts community colleges range from $6,300 to $7,560, depending on the institution.

The movement for free higher education has been growing recently. Other states have proposed — and approved — measures that provide more education access to the population.  

A spokesperson told WPRI that the Democrat Spilka plans to draft legislation soon. 

To learn more about what other states have been doing, click here.