By Bob Katzen

UMass announced that the top 10 percent of the state’s future community college graduates will receive a minimum of $5,000 per year if they enroll at one of the four college campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell.

“We want to send a clear message that UMass welcomes highly talented community college graduates to continue their pursuit of a college degree on our nationally ranked Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell campuses,” UMass President Marty Meehan said. “We believe this initiative will lead to more community college graduates choosing to finish their four-year degree at UMass which will accelerate their upward economic trajectory and strengthen the commonwealth’s workforce.”