A significant hike in tuition, complete re-organization of the University of Massachusetts campuses and privatization of UMass Amherst are among the most significant results of Governor Mitt Romney’s 2004 budget proposal.
The proposal, which must first be approved by the state legislature, is an attempt to curb the state’s plummeting economy by increasing tuition by 15 percent for in-state students. The proposal also involves grouping the 29 public universities and community colleges into a seven-region system.
‘By grouping campuses by region Massachusetts can save millions of dollars,’ Romney said in his State of the State address last Tuesday. ‘And, for the first time, prospective students will be able to file on one application for admissions to any of our state campuses.’
However, one campus that may not be included on the application is UMass Amherst. With more than 30,000 students, Amherst is the largest institution in the UMass system and generates the most revenue.
Romney’s plan would turn the state-run university into a private research institution. Amherst could then increase its tuition to be competitive with that of other large universities, and would be able to keep its revenues, rather than consolidating them for distribution throughout the entire UMass system.
After significant budget cuts in the last two years, the privatization is intended to restore the university’s academic reputation. However, some say academics are only part of the appeal to Amherst students.
Kimberly Ryan, a sophomore at the Amherst campus, said she believes the university caters to students who want to receive a high-quality education but cannot afford to pay the high-tuition prices of private universities.
‘A lot of people come here because it is a state school and our academic reputation is high,’ she said. ‘If they privatize, students who can afford to pay the higher tuition might just as soon go to schools like Boston University or Boston College.’
Students who cannot afford the higher tuition that would accompany privatization may be forced to consider other options, according to Ryan.
‘I know a lot of people who have had to leave school or go to a community college when tuition has been raised in the past,’ she said. ‘There are a lot of UMass students who work 20 hours a week in order to pay tuition and can’t afford the extra increase.’
Although the tuition increase would be substantial if the proposal goes through, resulting revenues could prevent further cuts from being made in academic programs, and could help universities maintain good academic reputations. Ultimately, the Amherst campus will have to sacrifice either its academic reputation or its accessibility to the public.
‘The tuition retention would help make campus stronger,’ said Stephen Coelen, a professor of political science at UMass Amherst. ‘I would like this campus to have more stature, but I would be concerned about maintaining the support we currently offer for lower-income people in the Commonwealth.’
Although students and faculty members are starting to form opinions about the budget proposal, UMass administrators were reluctant to comment before it has been analyzed further.
‘It’s a complex plan,’ said UMass Boston spokesman Ed Hayward. ‘Everybody is taking a look at it and trying to determine what’s would happen were enacted. This proposal is in its infancy and it doesn’t make any sense to speculate.’