A new report says the state’s model for higher education should be reworked to better support public and private institutions serving large minority populations.
Higher Education and Adult Learning
Posted inEducation
New state aid will cut costs for 25,000 UMass students
A THIRD OF ALL UMASS students will qualify for free tuition paid for by the new income surtax on the state’s highest earners, under a plan the Healey administration rolled out Wednesday to spend an expansion of state financial aid.
Posted inOpinion
Tracing the origins of our college affordability crisis
IN TODAY’S AMERICA, the cost of college is nothing short of staggering. But this was not always so; in 1987, tuition and fees at a public institution in Massachusetts totaled […]
Posted inEducation
In-state tuition, financial aid in sight for undocumented students
AFTER TWO DECADES of advocacy on Beacon Hill, Massachusetts is set to join about two dozen other states in removing a high-profile barrier to undocumented students in higher education. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Affirmative action is dead; long live affirmative action
“The big, well-funded, elite research institution is a particularly American phenomenon and represents one of the country’s greatest contributions to the world of knowledge. But…I wonder if America’s success at […]
Posted inTransportation
Bus stops targeted to improve pedestrian safety
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FOLLOWING A PEDESTRIAN safety assessment that showed almost half of all Massachusetts pedestrian fatalities or serious injuries happened within 300 feet of a bus stop, the […]
Posted inCourts, Education, State House News Service
Supreme Court strikes down use of race in admissions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE NATION’S HIGHEST COURT on Thursday declared that two major colleges violated the Constitution by considering a student’s race as a factor in admissions, a landmark […]
Posted inOpinion
Follow New York’s lead on matching university gifts
A correction has been added to this story. STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, part of the New York higher education system, just got some joyous news, in fact half a billion dollars […]
Posted inOpinion
Congratulations Mass. grads, but watch out for that $400m in debt
GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE is a wonderful accomplishment reflecting your unwavering dedication and commitment both inside and outside the classroom. Throughout your academic journey, you have not only acquired a diverse […]
Posted inEducation
Meehan says UMass system facing headwinds
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DECLINING ENROLLMENT and swelling employee expenses are causing budget woes for the University of Massachusetts and financial help from Beacon Hill may be needed, according to […]
Posted inEducation
Student loan ombudsperson is working, let’s fund it
IN TODAY’S UNPREDICTABLE economy, the future of nearly 1 million student loan borrowers in Massachusetts is particularly precarious. Combined, they owe a whopping $31.7 billion in student loans. Their fate […]
Posted inEducation
Momentum building for removing another barrier for immigrants
THE LEGISLATURE last year approved a new law giving immigrants without legal status the ability to apply for state-issued driver’s licenses. The bill had been kicking around Beacon Hill for […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t take colleges, universities in Mass. for granted
MORE THAN ALMOST any other state in the country, our economy, quality of life, and international reputation are inextricably connected to our colleges and universities. Massachusetts is the world’s healthcare […]
Posted inOpinion
John Silber, my father, never caved
I WISH JOHN SILBER, my father, could see the new Center for Computer and Data Sciences on the Boston University campus. Some call it the Jenga building; to me it […]
Posted inOpinion
As history shows, those educated in arts shape the future
THIS YEAR marks a profound milestone in how Massachusetts became a national symbol of ingenuity and creativity, leading the way in preparing new generations to take on the challenges and […]
Posted inOpinion
Not all free-tuition community college plans are equal
DESPITE LEADING the nation in practically every educational outcome, there’s one area where Massachusetts lags other states: free community college. While more than half of US states offer some form […]
Posted inOpinion
Fewer colleges relying on standardized tests
COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTS are becoming a thing of the past. More than 80 percent of US colleges and universities do not require applicants to take standardized tests – like the […]
Posted inOpinion
Dealing with the fallout of sudden college closures
IN 2018, I helped finance a class action lawsuit by a group of former Mount Ida College students who were effectively kicked out of school as a result of the […]
Posted inOpinion
What Nobelists mean for US, Boston
THE BOSTON AREA is a hotbed of Nobelists. Â A number of prizewinners over the years have been on the faculties of local universities (e.g., at Harvard, MIT, and Boston University), […]
Posted inOpinion
The promise of higher ed’s ‘Equity Agenda’
AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY on April 14, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “The Other America” speech. In it, Dr. King spoke about a bifurcated country: one part “overflowing with […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t fixate on the state’s elite private schools
LOCAL COVERAGE of the latest US News and World Report ranking of US colleges has focused on the fact that 7 Massachusetts schools made the top 50. People have questioned […]
Posted inEducation
White House says 813,000 in Mass. eligible for student debt relief
AN ESTIMATED 813,000 student loan borrowers in Massachusetts will qualify for debt relief under President Biden’s student debt relief plan, according to data released by the White House Tuesday.  As […]
Posted inEducation, State House News Service
Board interviews 4 candidates for higher ed job
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY funding issues, consensus-building across different interests, and navigating a system that balances campus autonomy with government leadership are among the pressure points state […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, Opinion
5 ways to avoid a skilled workforce crisis
IF YOU THINK it is hard to find workers for jobs today, just wait: It’s about to get a whole lot worse. That’s the biggest takeaway from a research brief […]