Graduates of 23 additional New Hampshire high schools will be able to attend New England College in Henniker for reduced tuition through its High School Partnership Program, more than doubling the number of participating schools.
Merrimack Valley High School, Pembroke Academy and Pittsfield High School are among this year’s new additions. Concord High School has been part of the program since 2025.
The college announced the addition to its program on Nov. 5, listing all 39 total eligible schools on its page. Graduates of partner schools pay $12,000 of annual tuition, compared to around $43,000 for the standard rate.
There are no family income limitations on the tuition program, setting it apart from similar offerings at other schools, according to Sky Croswell, vice president of enrollment management and marketing for the college.
“Taking that income restriction out, it just makes it a little more accessible to more families here in New Hampshire,” Croswell said.
The college decided to expand the local tuition program because of interest from both individual students and school leaders, Croswell said. Admission staff will visit every new school in the program to provide information to students and their families.
The tuition rate is fixed for up to 4 years and available to residential and commuter students. To be eligible, students must enroll full-time in an on-campus undergraduate program, though the three-year cooperative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is excluded. Recipients of the partnership scholarship will not be eligible for other institutional grants or scholarships from the college.
Other costs, like meal plans and room and board, aren’t included. Estimated yearly fees for on-campus students are $2,040. Annually, campus housing is between $7,750 and $12,040, and a meal plan is $8,000.
Earlier this fall, other New Hampshire institutions including the University of New Hampshire and Saint Anselm College expanded similar tuition programs, citing the need to increase affordability, keep students in the state and boost enrollment. In October, the Community College System of New Hampshire and Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced plans to provide a free tuition program for in-state students, pending approved funding from the legislature.
Colleges across the region have been grappling with falling enrollment for years. Total undergraduate enrollment at New England College dropped substantially from 2019 to 2023, before beginning to rebound more recently, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In May, New England College reported enrollment was up 26% compared to the same time last year.
Croswell said enrollment was not the driving factor for the partnership program’s expansion. The partnership rate is less than a third of the standard tuition cost.
“It was less about enrollment and more about making our education and our college more accessible and affordable for everyone here in our area,” she said.