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Boston's Morning Newsletter
What to know about the Mass. Senate's free community college proposal
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Cambridge’s Mass. Ave has reopened to cars after being blocked by pro-Palestinian demonstrators at MIT yesterday during rush hour. We have more on the scenes at the last two Boston-area college encampments below. But first, a few other quick updates:
Community college for all? Sixteen months after Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka first called for free community college, she’s making her official pitch. Spilka’s chamber released a $75 million plan yesterday to expand the offer of free community college to all Bay Staters as part of a budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.
- For students: The plan would cover tuition and fees for all residents at the state’s 15 community colleges. Residents from households making up to 125% of the state’s median income (i.e. $182,000 for a family of four) would also be eligible for a $1,200 stipend for things like books and supplies. (Pell Grant-eligible students would be able to cash in on an additional stipend, too, meaning they could get $2,400.)
- For schools: The plan also includes $18 million to hire support staff to help with advising and career planning. “The tuition and fees, it’s a fantastic step forward,” said Jim Vander Hooven, the president of Mount Wachusett Community College. “But we also need to provide those wraparound services in order to really provide an environment for success for the students.” As WBUR’s Carrie Jung reported earlier this year, some community college staff already feel strained by the existing program offering free tuition for those over 25 years old.
- What’s next: If passed, community college students would get free tuition starting this fall. But again, that remains a big “if.” Neither the House nor Gov. Maura Healey have come out in support of the Senate’s free community college plan. (Asked about the proposal, a spokesperson for House Speaker Ron Mariano gave the State House News Service a noncommittal “We’ll review.”) The Senate will release its full FY25 budget proposal later today.
Also free: Bluebikes — every Sunday for the rest of May. To celebrate National Bike Month and Women’s Health Awareness Month, the Boston-area bike-sharing system is offering $5 credits to riders every Sunday this month for both regular bikes and e-bikes.
- You can unlock the free rides in the Bluebikes app, though each day requires a different code: BLUECROSSHEALTH12 (May 12), BLUECROSSHEALTH19 (May 19) and BLUECROSSHEALTH26 (May 26).
What does bankruptcy mean for me? A new state-operated website and call center will allow Steward Health Care patients and workers to ask questions and track updates about the company’s newly announced bankruptcy filing. The system includes an FAQ page, a list of Steward-owned facilities and a way to file complaints.
- State officials have stressed Steward’s hospitals remain safe and open right now, despite their financial troubles. They’ve encouraged patients not to cancel any appointments. Still, Healey warned yesterday that it’s possible patients and hospital workers will see “disruptions” and “inconveniences.”
Meanwhile on campus: MIT says it will no longer require job applicants to submit statements explaining their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. “We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don’t work,” MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
- The so-called “diversity statement” has asked those applying to faculty jobs to write up to two pages about their track record and commitment to encouraging DEI on campus — and it’s become a common requirement for elite college jobs. However, they’ve also faced criticism from many on the right (and some on the left).
PSA if you’re out late tonight: MassDOT is shutting down the northbound side of the I-93 tunnel through Boston overnight for maintenance. The closure will run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow, starting at Exit 15B. The I-93 exits from the Pike will also be closed off.
- In case you’re going to Game 1 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at TD Garden, don’t worry — you’ll still be able to jump on I-93 northbound from the Haymarket area. Also, the game has a 7 p.m. tipoff, so you likely won’t be out that late. It’s a school night after all!
P.S.— This year’s Pulitzer Prize winners include an NPR contributor and a Massachusetts author who wrote about Black life in Boston during the Civil War era. Check out the full list of winners here.
