Thursday, October 3, 2013

MassBudget: Declines in Funding for Higher Education in Massachusetts



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Higher Learning, Lower Funding 
A strong system of higher education helps students gain the knowledge they need to succeed, and it also helps ensure that we have the kind of skilled workforce that can support a vibrant, high-wage economy.

MassBudget's new chartpack, Higher Learning, Lower Funding: The Decline in Support for Higher Education in Massachusetts finds that state support for public higher education has fallen 25% since FY 2001. As state support has decreased, tuition and fees have gone up, shifting the cost onto students and their families.
  • Between 2001 and 2013, the cuts to higher education funding in Massachusetts were larger than 43 other states.

  • The amount we spend per pupil is slightly below the national average

  • If our state budget included an additional $940 million for public higher education, we would be right at the national average in terms of the share of our economy spent by the state on public higher education. Looking at public higher education spending in this way - namely, as a percentage of our total economic resources - gives a better sense for our capacity to make additional investments

In addition to this report on higher education, MassBudget is also releasing its annual assessment of education funding in Massachusetts, "Census Data Shows Massachusetts has Untapped Capacity to Invest in Public Education."   

Using the latest Census data on state-by-state education spending, we find that:
  • As with public higher ed., Massachusetts devotes a smaller portion of its total economic resources to K-12 education than most states.   

  • Per-pupil spending for K-12 students in Massachusetts is relatively high (the fact that Massachusetts is a high-income state means that it can spend more than others on a per-pupil basis while still using a smaller percentage of the state's total resources)
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER

15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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This email was sent to shersteve@gmail.com by nberger@massbudget.org |  

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

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