Press Release: 11/3/2025
State Legislative Briefing to Highlight Opportunities to Close Completion Gaps at Massachusetts Community Colleges
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Event: From Access to Completion: Scaling Higher Ed SUCCESS Programs in MA
Date: November 6, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Massachusetts State House, Room 428
CONTACT:
Chanthy Lopes
Advocates and experts emphasize the importance of comprehensive wraparound supports to enhance community college completion rates across Massachusetts.
BOSTON, MA – Community colleges are not a second-tier option or a backup plan — they are a vital pathway for thousands of students to pursue their dreams. Whether enrolling straight from high school or returning after a break in education, students increasingly rely on community colleges, which often offer a more accessible, affordable, and flexible path to earning a degree or credential. Recently, Massachusetts has made significant strides in expanding community college access through generous financial aid programs; however, only 35.2% of students who enroll in community colleges in Massachusetts earn a degree or certificate within six years.
To address this completion gap, the state launched the Supporting Urgent Community College Equity through Student Services (SUCCESS) program in fiscal year 2021. The program helps community colleges provide tailored student support services — including advising, peer mentoring, career counseling, and other academic supports— to help underserved students persist and graduate. While the program is delivering promising results, it currently reaches only 8% of community college students statewide.
To spotlight its impact and explore strategies for scaling SUCCESS statewide, EdTrust-MA and the Hildreth Institute are hosting a special legislative briefing — sponsored by Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) and Representative Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge) — titled “From Access to Completion: Scaling Higher Ed SUCCESS Programs in MA.” The briefing will take place on Thursday, November 6th at 12:00 p.m. ET in Room 428 at the Massachusetts State House, and will feature remarks from Noe Ortega, Massachusetts commissioner of higher education, and others, followed by a presentation on the SUCCESS program, including findings from a new Hildreth Institute research brief, “Meeting the Moment with SUCCESS.”
“We are grateful for the legislature’s continued investments in public higher education, which have helped drive increases in enrollment,” said Jennie Williamson, state director for EdTrust in MA. “Yet completion rates remain low and inequitable; comprehensive student support services, such as those provided through the SUCCESS program, are essential for closing these gaps. This event seeks to spark a candid conversation about the barriers students still face and explore policy solutions that ensure every student has the support they need to finish what they started.”
The briefing will also feature a dynamic panel discussion, including key institutional leaders, SUCCESS program administrators, and student voices. Together, they’ll share firsthand insights into the program’s impact and explore policy solutions to expand and institutionalize it in the future.
“We have expanded access, now we must scale SUCCESS so that every student has integrated, evidence-based support to finish what they start,” said Bahar Akman Imboden, managing director of the Hildreth Institute and author of the new report. “Massachusetts has all the right ingredients: strong financial aid programs, dedicated advising, and campus-based wraparound services. The next step is to scale and bring them together by bundling academic and career supports with financial aid and basic needs assistance through SUCCESS, ensuring that every student has access to comprehensive, evidence-based services proven to boost persistence and graduation.”
“The SUCCESS program demonstrates what’s possible when we invest in students’ potential, and our community colleges are proud of the data showing that the program works,” said William Heineman, president of North Shore Community College and chair of the Community College Council of Presidents. “However, the surge in enrollment from free community college has underscored the ongoing challenge of ensuring that all students have the support and resources they need to persist, graduate, and thrive. We are grateful to the Joint Committee on Higher Education, the Hildreth Institute, and EdTrust-MA for giving our students and staff the opportunity to share their stories and collaborate on ways to expand the program’s impact across the Commonwealth.”
“Higher education affordability and accessibility extend beyond tuition, fees, books, and supplies,” said Senator Jo Comerford. “I’m grateful to EdTrust-MA and the Hildreth Institute for hosting this important discussion on strengthening wraparound supports that help students access, persist, and complete transformational higher education degrees.”
“Every student deserves the chance not just to enroll, but to finish their degree,” said Representative Dave Rogers. “Wraparound support programs like SUCCESS are key to closing the completion gap. Ensuring students have the guidance and resources they need is how we help them succeed.”
Members of the media, educators, policymakers, and community members are invited to attend, engage in the conversation, and contribute to advancing solutions.
Registration is free. For more information, contact Chanthy Lopes at clopestoro@edtrust.org.
###
About EdTrust in Massachusetts: EdTrust in MA is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive. For more information, see edtrust.org/Massachusetts or follow us on LinkedIn.
About the Hildreth Institute: The Hildreth Institute is a research organization dedicated to driving systemic change in higher education by promoting affordability, accountability, and equity. It empowers advocates and decision-makers with student-centered, equity-driven policy analysis, thereby fostering an inclusive and transformative educational landscape. Learn more at hildrethinstitute.org.