Tomorrow at 8:30 am, the UMASS System Board of Trustees will be meeting at UMass Dartmouth to vote on increasing the fees by $1,500 per year, a 15% increase. This is a system-wide increase.
I personally know people who will not be attending next year because their budget cannot come up with that much more money if this vote passes. The UMASS system hasn’t even been allocated its money from the fed yet, and they are increasing fees by a very significant margin. In times when 1 in 3 families are seeing job losses or pay cuts, the last place where fees should be going up like that is a public university — the only hope many of these students have at a better life.
I called the Guv’s office to express my displeasure.
The Rally against the fee increase is TOMORROW. The meeting is at 8:30 a.m. at the Woodland Commons, and students from all UMASS Schools will be meeting up as early as 7:15-7:30 at the Commons. If you don’t know the way around, students will be at lots 6 and 7 to help you find your way.
I’ll be there with my coffee, and I hope to see a crowd and maybe some BMGers.
assuming the university knows they will have to take a hit in federal funds and probably other funding sources, where should the money come from to make up the shortfall?
are just fed up with the lack of accountability. A couple years ago, they instituted fees for parking, which went from free to 150 bucks for residents and 100 for commuters. The school assured the students that the money would be used to alleviate the parking problems and maintain the parking lots. Well, they haven’t broken ground on a single spot, re-paved a single inch or anything in 2 years. Meanwhile, they go hiring a new assistant vice-dean to the student whathaveyou that gets a 6 figure salary and does God knows what.
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p>But, as Ryan will tell you and I will agree with, they DID put up really really nice new signs around campus.
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p>The schism between students and administration stems from the lack of trust students have that a fee increase will be spent responsibly.
but do you really think this is a frivolous increase? i would be shocked if the university isn’t under really scary financial strain. the university of washington is facing massive layoffs that a $1500 fee increase couldn’t even dent. you might have it better than you realize, given the current financial situation.
She says this isn’t a really big deal, but for many families in the South Coast of Massachusetts, especially New Bedford, this is going to put UMass out of their budget.
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p>I just get so angry that people are getting laid off and fees are increasing but there are $5,000 Pioneer Plasma TV’s in the Seminar rooms.
universities often get stuff like tvs donated or for a greatly reduced bulk rate. don’t assume they paid retail price for everything.
And you have every right to complain. Massachusetts has been ranked near the bottom of 50 states in terms of its public support for its state college/universities. It’s a national disgrace, is what it is. Unlike California (where Laurel has lived) Massachusetts is among the stingiest in the nation when it comes to supporting higher education.
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p>This info is a little old (probably from 2004), but still very, very relevant. If you don’t protest, our government will think that the rankings below are perfectly acceptable. This means that states like Mississippi and Oklahoma BEAT Massachusetts when it comes to public support of its colleges. Ug. Go get ’em, Tiger. I wish there was a list of all the BS that the government does spend its money on.
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p>http://people.umass.edu/folbre…
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p>Massachusetts Higher Education Spending
Percent by which Massachusetts decreased funding for higher education, last year: 3
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p>Percentage by which Wyoming increased its spending on higher education last year: 17
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p>Number of states maintaining or increasing funding for higher education last year: 39
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p>Rank out of 50 states of Massachusetts in per capita funding for higher education, 2002: 48
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p>Percentage of state budgets that go for higher education; 2002 national average: 15
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p>Percentage of Massachusetts state budget that went to higher education, 2002: 4.7
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p>Percentage of total state budget spent on higher education in Connecticut: 9.7
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p>Budgets Cut, Tuitions Increased, Financial Assistance Declining
Percentage increase in tuition and fees at UMass, in one year, from 2002 to 2003: 24
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p>Rise in tuition and fees at UMass-Amherst since 1988/89: 54
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p>Percentage decrease in financial assistance funds for students, 2002-2003: 24
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p>Rank out of 50 states of Massachusetts in amount of tuition increase, 2002-2003: 50
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p>Rank out of 50 states of Massachusetts in financial assistance, 2002-2003: 50
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p>Percentage by which the UMass budget was cut in 2002: 5.9
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p>Percentage by which over-all state spending went up in 2002:
4.1
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p>Ratio of state spending on prisons and courts to spending on higher ed 2:1
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p>Where Did All the Revenue Go?
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p>Number of tax cuts passed by the state legislature in the 1990s: 42
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p>Annual reduction in state revenues due to state capital gains tax cut in 1994, in millions: 296
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p>Annual amount of revenue lost due to the 42 tax cuts, in billions of dollars: 3.7
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p>Projected budget deficit in 2004, in billions of dollars: 3
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p>Percentage of state tax cuts in the 1990s, going to the wealthiest 20 percent: 71
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p>Percentage of tax cut benefits of the 1990s going to the richest 5%: 50
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p>Percentage increase in tuition and fees, UMass Amherst, 1988 to 2000 (inflation adjusted): 54
Well it’s true that I did live there in the mid-80s, but I’ve lived in MA much more recently than that. How is this relevant to the discussion again?
Californians do pretty well. Massachusetts is ranked 9th in the nation for in-state college tuition, while California is ranked…36. I thought the reason you were so cavalier about the ever increasing costs at our state schools is because you were used to California’s cheaper rates. If Mass. wasn’t so stingy to begin with, maybe the students and families wouldn’t mind a little bump up on fees, here and there.