Free Associate Degree

The title of this article reads like the bottom of the television screen during some late night infomercial and it is a gimmicky title at the very least. But if it captured your attention, I encourage you to read on. For high school students in the vicinity of Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), you do have an opportunity to earn a free Associate Degree.
To earn an Associate Degree a successful student must complete 66 credit hours. The cost of a single credit hour at MWCC is $185.00. So for the families of students enrolled in the Pathways Innovation School at MWCC, $12,210.00 worth of high quality educational programming is now available for your children.

For those who depend on student loans to pay for college, $12,210.00 can easily become more than $20,000.00 in payments over the years that it takes to pay off such a loan. And for those who continue to accrue loans as they go through Bachelor Degree programs, Masters Degree programs, advanced certificate programs, or doctoral programs, the costs just balloon from there. For students in the Pathways Early College Innovation School at MWCC, the cost of tuition is $0.00. No loans. No bills.

The Pathways Early College Innovation School offers a unique set of learning opportunities for students who will be entering grade 11 in the fall, 2012. For the young men and young ladies who are willing to go to college every day, rather than their local high schools – an Associate Degree can be theirs on the very same day that they receive their high school diplomas in May, 2014.

Students in this program can still participate in athletics programs at the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School, attend dances, belong to clubs, participate in theatrical performances, and enjoy all of the after school activities offered in the Mahar Regional School District. These students also have opportunities to participate with their peers at Mount Wachusett in many of the extra-curricular offerings of the college.

In order to enroll, students must reside in Massachusetts, possess a minimum high school GPA of 2.5 (cumulative, based on a 4.0 scale), be at least 16 years old and entering Grade 11 by the start of the fall semester, be recommended by the sending school and complete the Pathways application process. Students who have not passed the MCAS will be scheduled to take the appropriate test at MWCC. Students must be willing to enroll in classes during all available MWCC semesters, including Fall, Intersession, Spring, May, and Summer sessions, in order to complete diploma and associate degree requirements during the program.

Space is limited, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first served basis. In order to be eligible for the program, applicants must attend an information session, complete placement testing, and be interviewed by the Pathways director prior to the fall semester. For details please call (978) 630-9248.