BCC Offers Series of 'Free College' Information Sessions

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a series of "free college" information sessions specially designed for students over the age of 25 and for nursing students of any age. The sessions are as follows: 
  • Thursday, July 11, 5-7:30 pm: Berkshire South Regional Community Center, 15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington 
  • Thursday, July 25, 5-7 pm: Berkshire Community College's One Stop Center, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield 
  • Wednesday, August 7, 6-8 pm: North Adams Public Library, 74 Church Street, North Adams 
To register for a session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/freecollege.
 
Financial aid, admissions and advising staff will be on hand.  
 
The event encompasses two programs promoting free community college: MassReconnect, a program that pays the full costs of community college for adults 25 and older who do not already have a college degree, and the Commonwealth's Community College Nursing Scholarship program, which is designed for students who intend to enroll in and complete a credential or degree in nursing.  
 
MassReconnect covers tuition and fees for eligible students, who also receive an allowance to pay for books and supplies. Students are eligible for the MassReconnect program if they: 
  • Are 25 or older on the first day of classes         
  • Are enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education at a public community college 
  • Have not previously earned a college degree 
  • Are enrolled in at least six credits per semester 
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 
  • Are a Massachusetts resident 
The Community College Nursing Scholarship provides "last dollar" financial assistance to ensure that all eligible students have adequate resources to fully cover the direct costs of tuition and fees towards a certificate or associate degree at a public community college. An allocation for books and supplies is also provided. 
 
Those eligible for the program must: 
  • Reside in Massachusetts for at least one year prior to the beginning of the school term and be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations, or have an approved eligibility status designated by the Board of Higher Education; 
  • Have not earned a prior degree; 
  • Not be in default on any state or federal student loans for attendance at any institution; 
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually; 
  • Be enrolled full-time or part-time in a nursing program at a community college in Massachusetts; 
  • Meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP); and 
  • Demonstrate unmet need toward the costs of tuition, fees, books and supplies, after all other grant and scholarship aid has been accounted for. 
 
 
 

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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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