| More than 2,000,000 students or almost 43% of the | | | | disturbance to daily routines. Furcolo envisioned that |
| college level student population annually would never | | | | the colleges are located at a commuting distance, so |
| have the opportunity to attend public higher education | | | | those who were busy with household as well as work |
| in Massachusetts unless the Governor Foster Furcolo's | | | | place chores could attend them conveniently. Hence, |
| passionate and untiring struggle to set up 15 | | | | his Public Higher Education Act in 1958 provided laws |
| Community Colleges within the state was not | | | | to set up state wide system of 15 Community |
| successful in 1950s. As the Republicans' Editorial | | | | Colleges throughout in Massachusetts. They have |
| correctly expressed in September 2009, his services | | | | become the house for 46% of the college students in |
| were long forgotten by the politicians. In appreciation of | | | | Massachusetts at present, and it is more than four |
| his services Massachusetts general laws were | | | | times of the student enrolment in Higher education in |
| amended, only two years back, to designate the 15 | | | | 1950s (Burns 1995). |
| Community Colleges Collectively as the "Governor | | | | Fucolo understood the need of the skilled labor in the |
| Foster Fucolo's Community Colleges." At a time when | | | | growing business and the manufacturing sectors at the |
| the private higher education was dominant, and had | | | | time, and the responsibility of the public higher |
| access mostly to the students from well to do families, | | | | education to create a skilled labor pool, if |
| Governor Furcolo opened the door for public higher | | | | Massachusetts was to be competitive and keep pace |
| education to those who could not afford to attend | | | | with the other states. The community Colleges, |
| costly private educational institutes. He wanted the | | | | therefore, seen as the solution to the shortage of |
| colleges to locate closer to communities, provide the | | | | skilled manpower problem at the time. The skilled labor |
| education at a lower cost to the individuals as well as | | | | training is a core function of the community colleges |
| to the state, meet the demands of the rising | | | | even today. Comprehensive Regional Community |
| manufacturing and service sectors, and to raise the | | | | Colleges in Massachusetts today offer an array of |
| income of families and the revenue of the state in the | | | | programs leading to associate degrees, certificates |
| long run. The benefits of his intelligent foresight could | | | | and vocational programs. They provide basic, |
| be seen clearly in the Massachusetts economy and | | | | continuing, and remedial courses for college age |
| society today. | | | | students and adults. They affiliate with schools, |
| One of his aims was to provide opportunity for higher | | | | industries and work places and develop programs to |
| education for members from low income families who | | | | improve the skills and the quality of labor helping to |
| wanted to pursue their higher education. He wanted to | | | | increase efficiency and productivity. Massachusetts |
| reach immigrants, non- working adults, working men | | | | Community colleges have pioneered an innovative, |
| and women and disable people who wish to enhance | | | | low- cost, state wide workforce training resource for |
| their skills and engage in economic activities. The | | | | business and industry called Mass* Net, and it helps to |
| composition of student population at present shows | | | | provide workforce training in 21 technological fields. |
| how far the Governor Furcolo's target groups reached | | | | According to a Community College information source |
| and benefited from his community college movement. | | | | more than 5000 work force development programs |
| According to a recent economic impact report, the | | | | are yearly offered by Massachusetts Community |
| average household income of those students attended | | | | Colleges. By providing, skilled manpower needs of the |
| community colleges was less than US$ 36,000 per | | | | states industry, commercial as well as other service |
| annum, and 60% of the financial aid recipients, | | | | units, they have helped to increase income of the |
| particularly the Pell Grant recipients, were from families | | | | manufacturing units, individuals, and the state revenue. |
| who earned less than US$ 18,600 per year. Myself for | | | | Governor Furcolo wanted to make the Community |
| example, a member of an immigrant family came to | | | | Colleges a "preparation ground" for higher education. |
| this country hoping educational and economic | | | | One of the important missions of these colleges today |
| opportunities, as the rest of the 14.1 % (2007) immigrant | | | | is to facilitate their graduates to transfer to four year |
| population in Massachusetts is one of the beneficiaries | | | | colleges which is also an important component of the |
| of the community college system in 2009. | | | | most community college students' educational |
| Governor Furcolo saw the growing college age | | | | aspirations. At present, Community Colleges have well |
| population in mid fifties, and the obstacles they had to | | | | designed programs and provisions to facilitate student |
| get into higher education. His solution was to have a | | | | transfers through transfer agreements, and bindings |
| public higher education system to help this population, | | | | with four year colleges and universities. As a member |
| providing opportunity for them to engage in skill | | | | of a Public Higher Education System, Quinsigamond |
| enhancing studies, on-part time, open enrollment basis, | | | | Community College for example,maintains ties with all |
| and if required with opportunity to enroll in remedial | | | | the Massachusetts four year colleges and universities |
| courses. Examination of the composition of student | | | | and facilitate student transfers through Mass Transfer |
| population in Community Colleges in Massachusetts | | | | program introduced in 2008.This program helps for |
| shows that the majority belong to the part-time adult | | | | students through reduced tuition fees, and credit |
| student groups. More than 61% of students in | | | | transfers, and make transfer process quick, smooth |
| Community Colleges in Massachusetts are half time or | | | | and affordable.. |
| quarter time students, and were over 25 years of age, | | | | The economic impact of the Community Colleges on |
| Only 39% were full-time students and in the traditional | | | | individuals, families, and business is clearly seen today in |
| college age group. Many of them required to have | | | | Massachusetts. A recent economic impact report |
| remedial courses such as Math and English, Writing | | | | estimated that the incremental annual income of the |
| and Reading prior to enrolling for college work. As to a | | | | Community College graduates as US$ 21400 |
| recent study, based on 2005 high school students who | | | | compared to non-graduates. Education also opens to |
| entered the Community Colleges in Massachusetts, | | | | opportunity for better jobs with better benefits.It has |
| 37% in average, needed at least one remedial course | | | | been estimated that 90% of the Massachusetts |
| prior to start work at the college level(Conaway 2008). | | | | Community College graduates working in the state |
| Achievement of Fucolo's vision to make public college | | | | after their graduation in business, industry, or other |
| education affordable to poor families is evidenced | | | | services, and the income they generate hence spent |
| from comparing cost for community college education | | | | mostly within the state. This means that the state is |
| with other college systems, even today. The national | | | | able to generate more revenues taxing the personal |
| average for college tuition cost for public universities is | | | | income of the community college graduates working in |
| $4,694 for in state residents. The tuition and fees in a | | | | the state. Further, the expenditure in Community |
| private college is around $ 20,000 in the nation, while in | | | | Colleges has created a multiplier effects and further |
| a community college the cost is averaged to $ 2,076. | | | | regional growth as to various studies. These colleges |
| The same pattern is observable in Massachusetts. | | | | help also the local economies to sustain their economic |
| The nature of the student population required higher | | | | activities through spending of students and visitors, and |
| education, as Furcolo viewed it, required a dispersed | | | | workers. Thus the Community Colleges in |
| pattern of education facilities. Low distance to facilities | | | | Massachusetts have become a growth engine for the |
| save time, and reduce movement cost, reducing the | | | | state according to the same economic impact report |
| overall cost to an individual, and also minimizing the | | | | mentioned earlier. |