The Senate Ways and Means Committee has proposed a budget for public higher education that falls far short of that passed by the House of Representatives. Most importantly, it does not fund our campuses at the levels needed to allow a freeze in student fees. Such a freeze was proposed by UMass President Caret and …
Apr 24
Per Student Support for Public Higher Education
This graph shows how state support for public higher education students has declined dramatically, But if the budget proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee is passed, we’ll start to reverse this trend. Per Student Support for Massachusetts Public Higher Education FY2000 – FY2012
Apr 24
Free Public Higher Education – How It’s Done Elsewhere
An important article in “Inside Higher Ed” discusses how and why Germany is abandoning its experiment with charging tuition fees to college students. The state and federal governments are making up for lost revenue by increasing funding. The German Education Union argues that higher education is a human right — a belief enshrined …
Apr 10
Big Budget Boost May Lead to Fee Freeze
The House Ways and Means budget, released on April 10, would increase funding for public higher education by $110 million, the same amount proposed by Governor Patrick. This would be the largest increase to campus operating budgets in many years. The increase to UMass would be enough, over two years, to get …
Mar 08
The Big Shift: Who Pays for Public Higher Education
This chart shows very clearly how the cost of educating students in Massachusetts public colleges and universities has been shifted from the state to the students and their families. This has happened at the same time that there has been growing recognition that higher education is a public good …
Mar 06
Advocacy Day a Huge Success
600+ students, faculty and staff from around the state came to the State House March 5 to advocate for a dramatic increase in funding for public higher education, AND progressive tax increases to pay for it. Governor Patrick addressed the group, saying “we cannot reform our way to an affordable higher education …
Feb 27
Building Our Common Wealth: New Flier Says It All!
This new 2-page flier from the Department of Higher Education is one of the items that will be given to legislators on Public Higher Education Advocacy Day March 5. It’s also perfect for use in your classes, with your colleagues, and in your communities.
Feb 26
PHENOM Testimony to Ways and Means Committees
FEBRUARY 26, 2013 Most people recognize public higher education as a means of upward mobility for individual Massachusetts residents. Legislators are also keenly aware that it is a top economic development strategy. [See this detailed and compelling economic analysis.] Unprecedented cuts to the public higher education system over the last …
Feb 19
3 Proposals for Funding Public Higher Education
PHENOM belongs to the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE) . At a recent news briefing, three scholars representing faculty across the U.S. strongly advocated for a change in state and federal funding of public higher ed. Their request— stop capitulating to a dysfunctional NEW NORMAL — was directed at politicians and administrative …
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May 13
All You Need to Know about Student Loans
This New York Times article by Joseph Stiglitz is a particularly clear explanation of the student debt crisis, along with suggestions of how to fix it. Stiglitz, former chief economist for the World Bank, is one of the most frequently cited economists in the world. The article references the recent legislation filed by …
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