Northern Essex part-time students are potentially eligible for a share in $7.5 million state aid if they apply before November 1. (File photograph)
With back to school season in full swing, the Baker-Polito Administration is giving students a bit more of a break when it comes to paying for college. Through a new MassGrant Plus program, students at 15 community colleges—including Haverhill’s Northern Essex—may be eligible for additional financial aid given the state’s budget allocation of $7.5 million in extra scholarship money.
In order to take advantage of the windfall, students must apply for financial aid using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also called FAFSA, by November 1.
“At Northern Essex, nearly 68 percent of our students are part time,” President Lane Glenn said in a statement. “In many cases our students are working one or more jobs, supporting a family, and enrolled in two or more classes. This MassGrant Plus will make it much easier for them to continue their education.”
The MassGrant Plus program represents the first-time part-time students like those at Northern Essex are able to apply for aid. Students must take at least two courses—the equivalent of six credits—per semester in order to be eligible.