Action 3/24 - Public College Should Not be a Debt Sentence!

3/14/2022

In past years, many UMB staff, faculty and students have enjoyed visiting the State House on the annual Spring Advocacy Day organized by PHENOM (Public Higher Ed Network of Massachusetts). PHENOM needs our help this year to move a critical piece of legislation reported out of committee by April 4^th. S829/H1339, An Act to Guarantee Debt-Free Public Higher Education,” would guarantee every Massachusetts resident has a right to a public higher education free of tuition, fees, and student debt and covers all MA public higher ed institutions, including UMB.

This legislation will create a grant program to cover tuition and fees for all MA residents to attend any MA public college, university, or certificate, vocational or training program. It will also cover additional costs of attendance (housing, transportation, books, etc.) for low income students. These funds will NOT affect eligibility for other financial aid.

This year, there are two ways you can help advocate for PHENOM’s legislative priority:

1. Join us from 9–10am on March 24 to rally in front of the Massachusetts State House. We will speak out in support of Debt-Free public higher education and to hear from students, staff and faculty how critical this is. Please register here to let us know you can join us.
2. Please plan to take 5 minutes on March 24^th (any time from 9am to 5pm) to call the House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. We will provide you the information you need to ask for their help in moving forward an important bill, S829/H1339  “An Act to Guarantee Debt-Free Public Higher Education,” before the April 4^th deadline. This will bring the bill to the House and Senate floors for a vote. Otherwise, the bill will die, and PHENOM will have to start over during the next State House session.

Why does this matter?

• We believe that access to debt-free, high-quality public higher education should be the right of every Massachusetts resident.
• Cuts in state funding for public colleges are making it impossible for students and families to afford college. These cuts are now driving Massachusetts public college tuition and fees up faster than any other state in the country. 
• Many students and their families are burdened by debilitating debt that severely limits their future opportunities.

• The average student debt in Massachusetts is $37,172 growing.

• Student debt affects most heavily Black, Latinx, other people of color, low-income and first generation students, who are the majority of our UMass Boston undergraduate students.
• Massachusetts has the 10th highest student debt burden in the country and the sixth lowest public college budget.
• YOUR THOUGHTS. . .