Massachusetts giving tuition rebate in groundbreaking offer

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts will offer tuition rebates to full-time, qualifying students who begin their studies at a community college and go on to earn a bachelor's degree at a state university.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and state higher educational officials on Thursday unveiled what they called a first-in-the-nation program at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, one of the state's 15 community colleges.

Students from any community college who enroll in one of two dozen fields of study would receive a 10 percent rebate on tuition and fees upon successful completion of each semester, provided they maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.