This concise but comprehensive compilation is meant to be helpful to individuals and organizations advocating for improved state funding for our campuses. They are being distributed to all legislators, one at a time, during the 10 days leading up to the March 8, 2012 Lobby Day for Public Higher Education. Please disseminate them on your campus, to local media, on your facebook page, etc.
Category Archive: Higher Education Reports
Dec
16
2011
Department of Higher Education FY 12 Budget Request
The annual budget request compiled by the Board of Higher Education is a good source of information and data.
Dec
16
2011
The Crisis of Public Education: Budget Cuts, Deficits and the Lies Behind Them
This fact sheet explains how and why “austerity” is being used to cut public education. “The truth is the money does exist. Returning tax rates on those making over $500,000 per year to the levels they were at under Richard Nixon would yield enough to pay for a new public education system, plus massive aid to state and local governments”
Dec
16
2011
Demos: How Financial Aid Makes a Difference
This report argues that to increase postsecondary success among low- to moderate-income students, we must reform financial aid and provide additional financial supports to help students cover the cost of living expenses (especially housing and transportation) so that young students can work less, study more, and finish their degrees.
Dec
16
2011
Boston Foundaton Report on Community Colleges
PHENOM does not endorse the ideas presented in this report.
Feb
23
2011
Fighting Tuition Increases in the U.K.
Fight Back: A Reader on the Winter of Protest is a free e-book on the massive protests against tuition increases in Great Britain.
Nov
05
2010
Commissioner Freeland’s Vision
Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Richard Freeland is an outspoken advocate not shy about bragging about what’s good, or about highlighting the shortcomings, of our public higher education system. His recent article in the New England Journal of Higher Education is entitled “Coming Into Focus: A New Vision for Public Higher Education in Massachusetts”. We may not agree with every word, but we recommend it to anyone concerned about improving and increasing funding for public higher education in Massachusetts.
Jul
27
2010
The Shrinking Value of MassGrant
MassGrant is the state’s main program of need-based financial aid. As costs have risen, MassGrant has been cut.
These 2 graphs and report from the Department of Higher Education’s FY 2011 Budget Request demonstrate how “ This unmet financial need of students is significant and is almost certainly a deterrent to the pursuit of postsecondary education for some”
Jul
15
2010
Dramatic Increase in Enrollments
Enrollments in 2009-10 at Massachusetts public colleges increased dramatically, especially at the community colleges. The 7% increase in students in Fall 2009 compared to a year before is unprecedented and comes at the same time that state support has decreased by record amounts. The Board of Education has compiled the data here.
Jul
13
2010
US News & World Report: Higher Ed Cuts Worst in Massachusetts
Legislators make choices, and ours have chosen to disproportionately target our public campuses, our students, and our economic future. Legislators in other states also face difficult choices and they have not all made the same choices.
So what does it mean? Massachusetts spends $5,591 to support the typical in-state student at a public college. Nationally, the average is $6.928.
We urge you to bring this report to the attention of your State Representative and State Senator.
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