Framingham State University and MassBay Community College are part of a new scholarship program that provides free access to residence halls, meal plans and case management to homeless teens who enroll at one of the two institutions.

Set to begin next fall, the "Moving to College" pilot is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It targets homeless students who have just graduated high school and are seeking to further their education in order to bring financial stability into their lives.

"A college degree changes lives," Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos said during a recent interview on the program. "We know the difference between a high school diploma and a college degree is about $1 million of earnings over a lifetime. Not to mention the opportunities they will have with a college degree for different types of employment are much better."

The program builds upon the Massachusetts Students Housing Security Pilot, which FSU is also a part of, which offers free housing and meal plans to homeless students who were already enrolled in college. FSU and MassBay are partnering with Wayside Youth and Family Support Network to provide additional support for these high risk students.

Because MassBay does not have residence halls, students attending either MassBay or Framingham State through the two programs will live at Framingham State. While the scholarships cover housing, meals and support services, they do not cover tuition, fees, books, supplies and transportation. The University will work closely with each student to identify financial aid and other support services for these items.

Applications are due by March 1. More information is available on the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's website