EDISON – Students from families with a gross annual income of $65,000 a year or less may be eligible to attend Middlesex County College tuition-free this September, according to a release.

A revised Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) was included in the budget bill that the New Jersey Legislature passed, and Gov. Phil Murphy signed at the end of June. It covers all 19 community colleges in the state.

“We applaud the Governor and Legislature for making this investment in the state’s future,” Middlesex County College President Mark McCormick said. “We are very pleased that eligible residents of the County may take advantage of this program. It will mean students will work less so they can study more. We know that earning an associate degree increases lifetime earning capacity significantly. CCOG expands opportunity.”

CCOG began with a pilot program last spring aimed at students with an adjusted gross income of $45,000 a year or less. This budget increased the threshold to $65,000.

“Making community college free this past semester was a game-changer for the students, for their communities, and for the state,” Murphy said.

CCOG now covers both the fall and spring semesters for those taking six or more credits. It does not include summer session, the release states.

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The 2020 state budget includes up to $25 million for CCOG awards to be applied directly to eligible student accounts. This is a last-dollar scholarship, which means it will cover tuition after other federal or state assistance programs – such as Federal Pell Grants or New Jersey Tuition Assistance Grants – are applied.

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Zakiya Smith Ellis, New Jersey secretary of Higher Education, along with David J. Socolow, executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, visited numerous county colleges in the spring to gauge the success of the program.

“I heard from students who had to take on three jobs to pay their expenses,” Smith Ellis said. “I heard from single parents who supported their children while studying for exams. The Community College Opportunity Grant enabled these students to stay in college. Those students are more likely to graduate and thereby repay the state’s investment.”

For more information, including a question and answer section, visit middlesexcc.edu/freecc.

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey. Contact her at 732-565-7243 or sloyer@gannettnj.com.