Annual fee hikes at state universities threaten to push the cost of public higher education beyond the reach of many middle class families. Governor Patrick spoke out recently against a 4.9 percent fee increase approved by University of Massachusetts trustees. But the administration had little to say about fee hikes averaging 6 percent at eight other state universities, including those in Bridgewater, Framingham, and Worcester. Neither Patrick’s outrage in one case nor his silence in another provides much insight into the future of higher education in Massachusetts. Are expectations on the campuses too high given the low level of state support for public higher education? UMass president Robert Caret has noted that the state provided about 60 percent of the cost of education programs at UMass 10 years ago, while families provided the rest. Today, the proportion has practically flipped. And that’s a good deal compared to other state universities, which typically get about 30 percent of their operating budgets from the state.
http://bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2012/07/21/fee-hikes-challenge-viability-state-colleges/NYm5AzgqOq1XBQjKSLMv7J/story.html
