Massachusetts Higher Ed: Underfunded, Unaffordable and Unfair

Education, particularly higher education, has long been viewed as the primary driver of economic and social mobility in the United States. However, in the last couple of decades, we witnessed severe funding cuts in Massachusetts.

After adjusting for inflation, funding for public higher education declined 19% per full-time student (FTE), from $12,363 in 2001 to $10,001 in 2020. During the same time period, state financial aid to college students also dropped 35.1% per FTE; from $713 in 2001 to $463 in 2020.

To learn more about this issue click HERE to see our infographic.