State's public colleges, universities stand to lose in budget plan - The Boston Globe

An article from the Boston Globe about the cuts that public colleges and universities face in the upcoming budget. Public higher education has traditionally been underfunded in Massachusetts, and it's tragic to seem it drained even more.

While there are always tremendous demands on the budget, this seems like a time to invest in public higher education. Community colleges and four year public institutions could be pivotal in helping workers who've lost there jobs transition to new careers, and are far more accessible and affordable than private institutions.

In that case I speak from experience; I lost my job and now I'm pursuing a degree at a state university. It would be nice if everyone had that opportunity.

Here's a key excerpt from the article:

"Massachusetts public colleges and universities will lose more than $100 million in state subsidies next year under Governor Deval Patrick's proposed budget, a financial blow that coincides with a sharp rise in student interest in public schools.

The spending blueprint, announced today, reduces aid to community colleges, state colleges, and the University of Massachusetts by 11.6 percent. The lost revenue could force college leaders to increase student fees when a growing number of families are struggling financially."

...

Also, I was really struck by this line (emphasis mine):

"The state's $96 million financial aid budget, which ranks among the country's least generous, held steady."

Here's a link to the full article:

State's public colleges, universities stand to lose in budget plan - The Boston Globe

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