Undergraduate students at the five UMass campuses could see tuition and fees go up next school year. The university’s board will vote on Wednesday on whether to allow increases of up to five percent. Board Chair Victor Woolridge says the cost increase is needed because the current state budget does not give the university enough funding.
“I wouldn’t call it putting pressure on the state as much as it is just the reality that there is a gap between what’s been proposed, and what is needed to operate the university,” Woolridge says.
The increase could be less than five percent, depending on the final funding level decided by the legislature in its next budget cycle, which starts July first. Woolridge says the measure being considered Wednesday doesn’t guarantee tuition will go up.
“It means we’re giving the authority to the president to adjust fees in proportion to the amount we receive in terms of our allocation from the state,” he says.
Tuition and fees at UMass have not risen for the last two years.