Pressley Delivers $1M in Federal Funding for Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Program

 

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) visited Bunker Hill Community College to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal community project funding she secured to expand the City of Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College program. Rep. Pressley was joined by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, BHCC President Pam Eddinger, and BHCC students for a tour of BHCC and press conference to highlight how the funding will help address the college affordability crisis locally as she continues her calls for President Biden to cancel student debt. 

“I was so honored to visit Bunker Hill Community College today to deliver the $1 million in federal funds we secured to expand Boston’s tuition-free community college program,” said Rep. Pressley. “Expanding this program will serve a critical need within our community by helping more students achieve their goals of earning a college degree, and it will help us address the college affordability crisis as we continue making the case for President Biden to cancel student debt by executive action. These efforts must go hand-in-hand, and I’m so grateful to Mayor Wu, Mayor Janey, President Eddinger, and our students for their close partnership in making this important investment a reality.”    

"This million dollars to fund and expand the tuition free community college program is a major step forward at just the right moment,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Many of our community college students are affected in their ability to stay enrolled because of their need to balance their work and family obligations. Funding like this goes not only to the students, but to the families and neighborhoods that they are part of. Thank you Congresswoman Pressley for securing these funds." 

“We are proud to have served 619 students in the Boston Tuition-Free Community College program since the program began. We currently have 266 students receiving funding this year,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “We are grateful for this funding to expand the program allowing us to reach more students, especially with including certain certificates and short-term training.” 

View photos from the event here and watch the recorded livestream here. 

Rep. Pressley secured this federal funding for Boston in the government spending package that passed Congress and was signed into law by President Biden in March. In total, Rep. Pressley secured over $8 million for 10 community projects across the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, capping off nearly a year of advocacy by Rep. Pressley and local leaders. 

In March, she visited La Colaborativa in Chelsea to celebrate the $300,000 in federal community project funding that she delivered for La Colaborativa’s COVID Employment Recovery Program, and in April she visited Randolph to deliver $1,000,000 in federal community project funding for a new school-based community health center at Randolph High School.  

Rep. Pressley, in partnership with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), has consistently called on President Biden to cancel student debt. Last year, they led their colleagues in reintroducing their bicameral resolution outlining a bold plan for President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis by using existing authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt for Federal student loan borrowers.