Montgomery County Community College wants to help unemployed residents get back on their feet by offering tuition assistance through its new Montco Recovery Tuition Assistance Program.

“These are challenging times resulting in many people losing their jobs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Victoria Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “Montco wants to help residents who qualify recover by offering tuition waivers so they can affordably earn a credential or degree and obtain employment.”

Assistance through the Montco Recovery Tuition Assistance Program is available to any Montgomery County resident who suffered full- or part-time employment loss on or after March 6, 2020, the date of Gov. Tom Wolf’s Emergency Disaster Declaration. Supporting documentation is required.

“We applaud the Community College for stepping up and offering this important educational assistance to Montgomery County residents who need it most,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “I encourage anyone who has lost their job during the pandemic to take a look into this new program. Through robust training and resources, people experiencing unemployment now have another option to get their career back on track.” 

The program will provide a valuable resource for many in the community looking for work and has already begun to garner praise from local organizations.

“Montgomery County Community College has been a valued partner in our efforts to transition dislocated workers into gainful employment," said Jennifer Butler, Executive Director of MontCoWorks. "This is just one more example of their commitment to providing critical training to those most in need.”

To qualify, applicants will need to enroll in and attend a degree, certificate or financial-aid eligible non-credit program during the spring 2021 semester at MCCC. In addition, applicants will be required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and any grants or scholarships awarded will be applied before the tuition assistance.

The tuition assistance is available for both part-time and full-time students and is based on the number of credits taken.

• Part-time students taking 3 to 6 credits will receive a maximum waiver of 3 credits.
• Part-time students taking 7 to 11 credits will receive a maximum waiver of 6 credits.
• Full-time students taking 12 credits or more will receive a maximum waiver of 9 credits.
• Students taking financial aid-eligible, non-credit courses will receive a maximum tuition credit of $1,300 (a 9-credit equivalent).

In addition to tuition waivers, MCCC also can conduct a Prior Learning Assessment of each applicant to determine whether any courses can be waived or credits applied for prior work experience, education and military training and experience as applicable. This can save students a substantial amount of time and additional costs in completing their education.

MCCC offers more than 100 degree, certificate and specialized workforce training programs in over 50 areas of study to help students start new careers upon completion or continue their education at one of MCCC’s 30 transfer partner institutions.

For the fourth consecutive year, MCCC has frozen tuition rates for students, making a college education an affordable investment. First-year graduates at MCCC can expect a return on their education investment of 100% to 300%.

Registration deadlines for spring 2021 are Jan. 20, 2021 for the 15-week and 7-week sessions, and March 22, 2021 for the second 7-week session.  Montco residents who qualify can apply now for the Montco Recovery Tuition Assistance Program.