Massachusetts has taken an important step that should be a model for the rest of the country. Shortly after the Legislature’s Conference Committee released a budget that incorporates the House’s approach to funding public higher education, the full legislature ratified this by passing the proposed 2013-14 budget.
This is great news as it funds our campuses at levels where all the campuses agreed they would freeze student fees this year (and hopefully next year as well). Many campuses were set to send out bills with fee increases had the conference committee not adopted the House budget numbers.
Thanks to the legislators who stood up for students and potential students in Massachusetts! And thanks to the many many people who contacted their legislators, often repeatedly, with compelling and heartfelt stories about the need to keep student costs down. The direct relationship between state funding and student costs is now widely understood, a significant change from just a few years ago. PHENOM is proud to have been able to play a role in making this happen and bringing together many different groups and many hundreds of individuals to advocate for this budget.
There is much that remains to be done to make college more affordable, but today we can celebrate!