The Point: Take action with MTA to preserve funding for higher education workers and students!
10/23/2025
This week’s edition was prepared by The Point committee. As always, The Point represents the views of the author(s) and is not the official position of the FSU.
No state in the entire nation relies upon, or benefits more from, higher education as a driver of its economy than Massachusetts. The Bay State has long prided itself on its myriad educational institutions and the highly educated and creative workforce it produces. As a consequence, the ongoing federal cutbacks and attacks on higher education are particularly bad for the state as whole, to say nothing of their impact on those of us who work at colleges and universities.
This summer, Governor Maura Healey announced the “Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Initiative” in order to “grow Massachusetts’s world-renowned research and innovation economy and create thousands of new jobs.” Healey subsequently proposed legislation to allocate $400 million to both public and private institutions of higher learning. Responding to research done by our colleagues at the UMass Donahue Institute, Healey asserted this act would help “retain world-class talent, preserve and create jobs across industries, and support a key foundation of the Massachusetts economy.”
This legislation is now making its way through the state legislature, where it will draw from the ample funding provided by the terms of the MTA-sponsored Fair Share Amendment, which has proven a resounding success. Having led the way on creating this crucial source of support for higher education, the MTA is now asking state legislators to amend the DRIVE Act to support workers and student-facing programs as well as replacing research funding. The Trump administration’s elimination of billions of dollars in funding for university-based research has been devasting and should be addressed by the state of Massachusetts. Governor Healey’s intervention is much needed. However, because Trump’s financial attack has impacted universities more broadly than research, including a range of academic programs and student support services, so too must the state’s response. Passing the MTA amendment to the DRIVE Act will make sure this legislation truly benefits the widest possible range of education workers and the students we serve.
One week from today, on Thursday, October 30, MTA leaders and members will gather at the State House for a hearing on the DRIVE Act. As our union explains on its information page, “the funding to public higher education must extend beyond research cuts to also include other jeopardized academic programs and student support services.” This would include restoring funding to crucial programs that serve UMass Boston students, including the recently-endangered AARO, TRIO, and Jumpstart programs.
You can learn more about the MTA’s DRIVE act campaign here and you can sign up to attend the legislative hearing on October 30 here.
The committee for this year’s The Point currently includes Jessica Holden, Healey Library; Nick Juravich, History; Jeff Melnick, American Studies; and Steve Striffler, Labor Studies. If you want to join our committee, write an edition of The Point, or if you just have an idea, please write us at fsu@umb.edu.