Hildreth Institute Testifies in Support of Improving Access to Affordable Higher Education

Good morning,

Firstly, I'd like to extend my thanks to Chairs Comerford and Rogers, Vice Chair Gentile, and the distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Higher Education for the opportunity to speak to you today in support of An Act improving access to affordable higher education S.813, H.1261.

My name is Bahar Akman Imboden and I represent the Hildreth Institute, a research and policy center committed to ensuring equitable access to public higher education in our state.

Our recent study, “Rising Barriers, Shrinking Aid” published earlier this year, illuminated a pressing concern for our students: the intricate web of our state's financial aid system. What we observed was that two decades of declining investment in state grants and scholarships hasn't just reduced their ability to counterbalance soaring college expenses, but in trying to optimize the limited funds, the state had created over 40 small and overlapping grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers.

While well-intentioned the outcome is a financial aid system that's difficult for many to understand, navigate, and benefit from. This intricate maze unfortunately deters or adds additional hurdles for those seeking a higher education credential but have limited resources to navigate this complicated system. 

Compounding the complexity of the system,  the unclear financial aid contributions a student has access to, make it especially difficult to estimate how much financial aid a student will receive and what the gap to cover unmet need will be, which hits those from underprivileged backgrounds hardest.

It's heartening to see recent efforts to bolster the affordability of our public higher education—such as the Reconnect initiative, Tuition-free nursing program, and merit-based tuition-free high-demand programs. Yet, this continues a pattern of layering small, new programs atop existing ones, such as MassGrant Plus, which already commits to covering students' tuition and fees on a last dollar basis and further complicates the funding ecosystem.

This brings me to the legislation at hand. It presents a much-needed remedy: a streamlined, integrated approach to financial aid. Simplifying and centralizing the aid process will not only make it more accessible but also strengthen the role and promise of public higher education for everyone in the Commonwealth.

It is high time Massachusetts refines its commendable intentions into a system that genuinely serves and uplifts its students. I respectfully urge the committee to back this bill, and in doing so, champion a clearer, more equitable route to higher education for all our residents.

Thank you for your time and consideration.