No income requirement has been proposed, but if the program is too expensive, low-income students should be the first to benefit, said some administrators.
"We should start with the poorest," said Wayne Burton, president of North Shore Community College.
Kimberly Drinkwater, a 27-year-old mother of two, receives financial aid to cover the cost of her part-time nursing classes at Bunker Hill, and her mother watches her children when she is at school because she cannot afford day care. But even working 25 hours a week she is barely getting by.
"Tuition only begins to cover the actual cost," she said. "I'm falling behind every term I'm here, so I'm trying to finish as fast as I can."
The proposal will still help many students, said Dana Mohler-Faria, Patrick's top education adviser.
"We understand that attending college is more than tuition and fees," he said. "This won't resolve all our issues, but it will make a major difference."
Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
--Associated Press
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