information regarding the Cambridge Promise Pilot

CAMBRIDGE PROMISE PILOT Free Community College Tuition Proposal

Across the country, cities and states are designing programs to decrease financial barriers that inhibit access to higher education for their residents. In Cambridge, access to higher education is not distributed equally. The city’s adult population reflects this racial achievement gap, with Black and Latinx residents lagging behind white and Asian residents. Eighty percent of white and Asian residents in Cambridge hold bachelor’s degrees. Compared to 59.5% of Latinx and 38.4% of African American adults. Education level correlates to earnings. According to the MIT Living Wage calculator, the living wage needed for a family of three with one working adult to support their family in Cambridge currently stands at $38.69/hour (or $80,475 yearly), well above the statewide minimum wage of $14.25 (or $29,640 annually). INTRODUCTION According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirm this idea. Nationally, the yearly earnings of a high school graduate stand at $37,024, while a worker with an associate degree can expect to earn $43,472 (i.e., just above 17% more) and someone with a bachelor’s degree can look forward to approximate yearly earnings of $61,000 (i.e., a stunning increase of about 65% above high school level earnings). We want to encourage and create pathways for our students to earn a bachelor’s degree, ultimately leading them to earn a livable wage and be able to live in Cambridge if they choose. NOTES: Nearly 8 out of 10 adults living in Cambridge have at least an Associate’s Degree or higher. However, there are stark gaps along lines of race/ethnicity: 92% of Asians and 84% of white adults compared to 59.5% of Latinx and 38.4% of African American adults. SOURCE: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates SOURCE: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates Chart 1: Adult Education Attainment by Race/Ethnicity, Cambridge Adults 25 Years & Older Chart 2: Median Individual Earnings by Educational Attainment, Cambridge 2 Cambridge Promise

While Cambridge’s per-pupil public school expenditure is among the highest in the state. Black and Latinx students continue to lag behind their white and Asian peers in college success. The college success gap widens along the lines of race/ethnicity over time, while the college enrollment gap is only about 10 to 15 points between white and Asian grads (67% each) and African American and Latinx grads (56%, 48%), within six years the college completion gap for the class of 2010 doubled to roughly 20 points (~43% of white and Asian grads obtained a degree vs. ~25% of African American and Latinx grads). College completion for Cambridge Public School students is also lagging due to financial barriers. For the graduating class of 2010, by 2017 – seven years after graduating from high school – only about 1/3rd of African American and Latinx grads had obtained any post-secondary degree (34%, 31,7%) compared to more than half of white and Asian grads (52.6%, 56.8%). In order to address these inequities in education attainment and the rising cost of college, the Cambridge Public School District, the Office of Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, the College Success Initiative, School Committee Member Ayesha Wilson and Member Caroline Hunter, and the Cambridge Community Foundation are creating a Cambridge Promise Pilot. The first pilot year will provide 30 students with free tuition at Bunker Hill Community College and a college success coach. This will allow students to enroll in a higher education institution with the guarantee of graduating debt free. SOURCE: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE), Success After High School DART SOURCE: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE), Success After High School DART Chart 3: College Enrollment, Persistence & Completion by Race/Ethnicity, CRLS Class of 2010 Chart 4: Seven-Year Degree Completion Rate, CRLS Class of 2010 3 Cambridge Promise

Data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), shows that the share of lower-income students enrolling in higher education is only 7% less than higher-income students and yet the difference in college completion is 21%. The leading reason for this difference, cited by the city’s Department of Human Services Programs’ Office of College Success, is financial and structural inequity. To improve higher education retention and completion for Cambridge Rindge and Latin students, the Cambridge Public School District, the Mayor's Office, the City of Cambridge's College Success Initiative, School Committee Member Ayesha Wilson and Member Caroline Hunter, and the Cambridge Community Foundation are proposing the creation of a Cambridge Promise Scholarship. Below is the structure of the program: • Funding: This last-dollar program pays for tuition, mandatory fees, and school-related expenses not covered by a student’s Pell Grant and outside scholarships. • Age Groups Served: The program is accessible for Cambridge residents who have received their high school credentials within 12 months of starting college. • Partner Institutions: Students who enroll at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) will receive tuition for 3 years for the pilot years. Students will also receive a CSI coach. • Enrollment Intensity: Students are required to enroll full-time or part-time. • Eligibility Criteria: Students must enroll in CSI. Students with low to moderate household income (per HUD guidelines). Additionally, non-US citizens who fall under certain categories ( i.e., DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), TPS (Temporary Protected Status), U visa holders, beneficiaries of withholding of removal status, and any other non-citizens who are eligible for in-state tuition at public community colleges in Massachusetts) are also eligible for the program. Students do not need to be eligible for FAFSA to apply. CAMBRIDGE PROMISE STRUCTURE 4 Cambridge Promise

Nearly 8 out of 10 adults living in Cambridge have at least an Associate’s Degree or higher. However, there are stark gaps along lines of race/ethnicity: 92% of Asians and 84% of white adults compared to 59.5% of Latinx and 38.4% of African American adults 8 out of 10 adults 92% of Asians Adults 84% of White Adults 59.5% of Latinx Adults 38.4% of African American Adults 5 living in Cambridge have at least an Associate’s Degree or higher Cambridge Promise

Year 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Students Cohort 1: 30 Cohort 1: 30 Cohort 1: 30 Cohort 2: 30 Cohort 3: 30 Cohort 2: 30 Cohort 2: 30 Cohort 3: 30 Cohort 4: 30 Cohort 3: 30 Cohort 4: 30 Cohort 5: 30 Total 30 60 90 90 90 Cost $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $1,554 Expected Family Contribution for Cambridge Students attending Bunker Hill per year TIMELINE With the creation of a free college program, Cambridge could dramatically expand the number of students enrolled in higher education. A tuition-free community college program that would provide funding, matched with the kinds of support already proving successful through the College Success Initiative, will bridge the college completion gap for Cambridge residents resulting in greater shared community prosperity. For the first three years, Cambridge Promise scholarships will be given to students with low to moderate household income (per HUD guidelines) to 30 students. There are approximately 30 students attending Bunker Hill Community College through the College Success Initiative (CSI). Several college coaches at CSI have mentioned the lack of scholarship opportunities available for students, causing students to drop out and not obtain a degree. $6,000 Average yearly cost to attend Bunker Hill Community College 6 Cambridge Promise

January 2023 The College Success Initiative will provide a coach to students receiving the scholarship in order to track progress, register for the proper classes, and provide wraparound services. A tuition-free community college program which would provide funding, paired with a coach to provide wraparound services through the College Success Initiative, will improve the college retention and completion. We hope to expand the program after the pilot year to include additional institutions and more students. Following the pilot year, we hope to conduct an evaluation with every student and coach to understand the impact of receiving free tuition. It will cost approximately $150,000 to provide 30 students with scholarships to attend BHCC for three years. It will cost $450,000 to provide 3 cohorts of 30 students (total of 90 students from 2023-2027) to graduate from BHCC within three years. The goal is to offer students with 2-year scholarships and expand the program to allow eligibility for additional students at different public institutions based on feedback and learning from internal and external evaluations. Fundraise Coaching Evaluate & Expand Cambridge Promise 7 March- June 2023 April - August 2023 September 2023 April 2024 Foster a partnership with BHCC Fundraise Scholarship cost Recruit students to the College Success Initiative Students receive scholarships Evaluation and assessment NEXT STEPS