Page 26 - BusinessWest May 12, 2025

A recent graduating nursing class at Holyoke Community
College, one of the 10 partnering institutions in the Western
Mass Completes program.
there’s regional economic impact — that these folks are gainfully
employed, making livable wages, and contributing to their local
communities, which are very likely in the three counties that we
serve.”
Burke said it was important that colleges selected students for
this assistance who were most in need of it.
“We recognized that the schools know their students really well
and know who might be struggling or who might be facing barriers.
When there is an application process, you don’t necessarily get the
students who most need it; you sometimes get the students who are
best able to complete an application.
“A lot of the students were so surprised and almost didn’t even
believe it,” she added. “That was one of the challenges that our
researchers had to overcome, which was to say, ‘no, no, this is for
real. We’re giving you money, and we want you to be successful.’
And one of the things the students noted in the evaluation is that
this vote of confidence, that we want you to succeed, was a really
valuable component of the program for them.”
The fact that a relatively small grant can make a significant
impact on completion rates is important to note, Burke said.
“It’s concerning that you could get three out of four years
through nursing school and then potentially leave without a degree,
not be able to pay back your student loans, not necessarily have an
income to support your family — and $2,500 really made a signifi-
cant difference in people’s lives,” she told BusinessWest. “It also
helps to fill a nursing shortage in our economy.”
Strategy Sessions
The next big step, Burke said, will be a strategic planning pro-
cess. “We really want to get a lot of community input into where
can we best add value. So we’ve made it pretty clear that we will not
be launching a new phase of Western Mass Completes right away
until we can do some more of that learning.
“We do have other ongoing things that we’ll continue to do that
contribute to student success, like our scholarship program, our
interest-free student loans, and other pieces,” she added.
“But in this particular area of study, we’re waiting to learn what
could be most useful.”
Another emerging factor, particularly for the community-college
partners, is the success of MassReconnect and MassEducate, the
state programs that offer an associate degree free of charge to a
wide swath of Massachu-
setts residents.
“There’s also some
Completes
Continued on page 32 >>
“We do have
other ongoing
things that we’ll
continue to do
that contribute
to student
success, like
our scholarship
program, our
interest-free
student loans, and
other pieces.”
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MAY 12, 2025
MONTHLY FEATURE Business W est