The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announced that it will waive tuition for incoming students who have earned an associate's degree and maintained a 3.0 or better grade point average at any of the state's 15 community colleges.

The waiver will be good for up to four semesters. Community college students will remain eligible for additional need- and merit-based financial aid.

"We want to encourage successful community college students to continue their education at UMass Dartmouth and build on their educational momentum,'' Divina Grossman, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, said in a statement. "This program, combined with recent increases in the financial aid and freezing of tuition and fees for two years in a row, supports our mission to keep excellent educational opportunities financially accessible."

The university welcomed more than 350 community college transfer students last year, predominately from Bristol, Massasoit and Cape Cod community colleges. The program will go into effect beginning January 2015 for new transfer students. Current University of Massachusetts Dartmouth students who have previously transferred from a community college will also be eligible.

"Community college students have an excellent track record of success at the university, and we look forward to making more of them a part of our community," Ian Day, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Management, said in a statement.
The school has awarded more than $113 million in federal, state, campus-based and external financial aid this year. Since 2010, the campus-based aid has increased from $12.3 million to $18.2 million.