“The term ‘state university’’ starts to lose its meaning when the state provides just a quarter of its operating cost.” The Boston Globe editorialized about costs at the State Universities on July 22. It often seems like UMass and the Community Colleges get all the attention, but the 9 state universities educate about as many students as UMass, and almost all those students come from and remain in Massachusetts. They are a vital part of our public higher education system. The cost of attending has roughly doubled in the past 8 years.