Milwaukee Area Technical College To Begin Offering Free Tuition To Some Students

For the first time in Wisconsin, a technical college will offer free tuition to hundreds of qualified students.

The Milwaukee Area Technical College says that starting next year, high school graduates who live in the college’s district can get four consecutive semesters of free tuition if they meet certain requirements.

Those include graduating from high school on time, attending more than 90 percent of classes, having at least a 2.0 GPA, and meeting eligibility requirements for federal and state financial aid.

Milwaukee Technical College President Vicki Martin said the program, which is being called “The MATC Promise,” will be privately funded. She said she hopes corporations will be interested in making a donation.

“We think for all those employers who are looking and asking us, ‘When are you going to be graduating the next class so that we can be hiring?’, we think that that will be a message that will really resonate with them.”

Martin said she hopes about 1,000 students will qualify for the free tuition program next year.

Current Milwaukee Area Technical College student Reginald Adams supports the new program.

“I know a few students coming in next year who can definitely benefit from this,” said Adams. “A lot of Milwaukee Public Schools students come from low-income families, so this gives them a broader opportunity.”

Adams added that he doesn’t think the eligibility requirements will be too difficult: “It’s all about balancing your time properly.”