MCCC continues its commitment to make higher education affordable for all

By Diane VanDyke
Montgomery County Community College will keep its tuition and fees at the same rate for the fifth consecutive year. Photo by David DeBalko

Montgomery County Community College will keep its tuition and fees at the same rate for the fifth consecutive year. Photo by David DeBalko

For the fifth consecutive year, Montgomery County Community College will keep its tuition and fees at the same rate to help students and families during the 2021-2022 academic year.

“Students and families only recently are starting to recover from the impact of the pandemic, and MCCC is continuing to do its part by keeping tuition and fees as low as possible to make higher education affordable for all learners,” said Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “This is the fifth consecutive year Montco will freeze tuition and fees to help our students minimize and even, in some cases, eliminate student debt.”

Tuition for 2021-2022 is $144 per credit for Montgomery County residents and $288 per credit for out-of-county residents. Fees also will remain the same.

In addition to providing reasonable tuition rates, MCCC offers last-dollar tuition waivers to aid residents who are unemployed due to the pandemic. Through the Montco Recovery Tuition Assistance Program, qualifying Montgomery County residents who experienced full- or part-time employment loss on or after March 6, 2020 (the date of Governor Wolf’s Emergency Disaster Declaration), may receive tuition waivers to earn their associate’s degree or certificate to get back into employment quickly.

During the spring 2021 semester, MCCC helped more than 100 students with tuition waivers. The program will continue through summer 2022. 

Another way MCCC makes higher education more affordable for families is through its Dual Enrollment/Early College High School Program. High school students who are 15 years or older may take colleges classes through MCCC and get a head start earning credits toward an associate’s degree or certificate and help reduce their future student debt. MCCC offers a comprehensive, holistic experience with complete wraparound services for academic, support and essential needs. All students, including dual enrollment students, have access to these services, including MCCC’s 24/7 online tutoring and Talkspace online therapy, among others. MCCC has more than 100 degree and certificate programs and is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. MCCC has partnership agreements with more than 30 four-year institutions that allow students to transfer seamlessly to continue their education.

MCCC also helps adult learners save time and money through its Prior Learning Assessment. Students may earn credits for prior work and educational experience, including military experience and industry credentials.

Registration is open now for the fall semester. Classes will be available in a variety of formats for every student’s learning style and scheduling needs.