What is Mass Transfer?
Students who attend a Massachusetts state community college, state university, or UMass system school are eligible to transfer seamlessly from one to another, enabling students to stay on track to achieve their bachelor’s degrees by taking advantage of the MassTransfer agreements. There are a couple of different options to choose from, depending upon the choice of a degree program, starting school, and timeframe.
A2B Mapped Degree – Average 28% Savings on Your Bachelor’s Degree
The first is the A2B Map – students start at community college and after graduating with at least a B average they are accepted into their degree program at a state university or UMass with no application fees or essays to complete their bachelor’s degree. In addition to the transfer credits, students with a 3.0-grade point average also can receive a tuition waiver. The A2B Mapped majors are easy to identify on the MassTransfer website where students can select the Community College they are starting at, the state university or UMass school they want to finish at, and the degree program they are interested in. There are 23 program paths from MWCC to Fitchburg State University as exhibited below in the Business Administration Transfer Degree option.
General Ed Foundation Program – Average 11% Savings on Your Bachelor’s Degree
The second is the Gen Ed Foundation program. This pathway provides that any student in the Massachusetts public higher ed system who completes their General Education Foundation courses – a set of 34 credits outlined by the state – at any school can transfer those credits to any other Massachusetts community college, state university or UMass campus. All undergraduate programs (with the exception of MassArt and Mass Maritime) require a set of core classes to provide a well-rounded academic experience. Students can explore the Ged Ed Foundation courses at Mass Transfer Gen Ed to determine which should be taken at your local community college before transferring to a state university or UMass school. There are over 130 courses offered at MWCC that are included the Ged Ed Foundation program, at only $222 per credit instead of $385 or more at the online cost of a UMass school, students can save significant amounts on their general education credits.
A2B Linked Pathway Program
The A2B Linked Pathway program is similar to the A2B Mapped Degree program but allows for a GPA lower than a 3.0 to receive some of the MassTransfer benefits, just not the tuition waiver students in the A2B Mapped program receive.
Commonwealth Commitment – Combined with A2B Map Average 40% Savings on Your Bachelor’s Degree
The greatest available cost savings is through the Commonwealth Commitment. Students who commit to completing their associates within 2.5 years and their bachelors in 2 more years, maintain full-time, continuous enrollment, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 will receive a freeze on all tuition and fees, a 10% rebate on tuition and fees, guaranteed admission and transfer of credits, and no application fee or essay! You can learn more about the Commonwealth Commitment here.
Earn the degree you need, with less student debt!
There is no doubt that a college degree can make a difference in life and earning potential, but if that life is just working to pay of college loans, what will be left? Thinking critically about the cost of education early on will help students achieve their goals without the burden of debt, enabling them to become homeowners instead of college-loan owners.
Want to see how much you’d save? Visit the Mass Transfer Savings Tool, select your starting community college and your desired state 4-year school and see what your estimated savings will be!
Learn more about the MassTransfer program at Mass Transfer or set an appointment to meet with an advisor at The Mount today!