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The Commonwealth Commitment to College Access & Affordability in Massachusetts
Board of Higher Education | January 26, 2016
Commonwealth Commitment
Campuses Show the Way
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Campus regional agreements inspire state-level thinking
BHE action on MassTransfer, Tuition Waiver also key Statewide goal: Leverage public interest in
affordability with high-profile plan to help meet state’s need for more degree holders
Challenge: Can we reach agreement across all three segments in a matter of weeks?
Commonwealth Commitment
Meetings at Framingham State and UMass Lowell, late December & early January
All three segments represented: Campus leaders Provosts CFOs Faculty
Campuses draft “guiding principles,” input for draft agreement
Campuses Come Together
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Commonwealth Commitment
Urgent need for more MA degree-holders
Tiny cohort of first-time, full-time Community College students who earn AA/AS and BA/BS from MA State U or UMass in 4 years ▪ Only 89 students, or 0.7% of 2011 community college
entering cohort Need to incentivize students to attend full time
Why We Need a New “Commitment”
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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 -
1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000
Projected Graduates vs. Projected Workforce Need
Source: “Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020,” Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce
Shortfall in Bachelor’s Graduates from Massachusetts Public Higher EducationShortfall in Associate Graduates from Massachusetts Public Higher Education
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Framed by BHE mission to:
“…ensure that Massachusetts residents have the opportunity to benefit from a higher education that enriches their lives and advances their contributions to the civic life, economic development and social progress of the Commonwealth.”
Majors: Students entering 16 MassTransfer Pathways degree programs (rolling out in Fall ‘16 and Fall ‘17)
Transfer timeline: Eligible to transfer from 2-year to 4-year institutions after 2.5 years
Academic standards: Requires cumulative GPA of 3.0
Commonwealth Commitment
Program at a Glance
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Commonwealth Commitment
Starting Fall 2016 1.Biology2.Chemistry3.Economics4.History5.Political Science6.Psychology
Eligible Degree Programs
7. Business8. Criminal Justice9. Communications &
Media Studies10.Computer Science11.Early Childhood
Education
Special Mission Institutions: MassArt, Mass Maritime
to offer alternative programs transfer from CC’s at 1.5 years
12.English13.Liberal Arts14.Mathematics15.Sociology16.STEM Foundation
Starting Fall 2017
Pathways
Commonwealth Commitment
Several possible UMass models Cape Cod Community College UMass
Dartmouth▪ Four business, liberal arts programs▪ $30k price
Any Community College UMass Lowell▪ $30k for transfer to UML online degree
programs▪ $35k for transfer to Haverhill campus
programs Any Community College
UMass Amherst/University Without Walls▪ Strong faculty advising▪ Individually designed degrees that can
align with MassTransfer Pathways programs
▪ $30k price
Engagement with UMass
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Commonwealth Commitment
Under discussion: 10% discount to students, payable at end of each completed semester, available for those entering Fall ‘16 through Fall ‘17 Savings for students; faster pathway to degree completion Example #1: RCC UMB: $32,880 – 10% = $29,592 Example #2: GCC MMA: $28,224 – 10% = $25,402
Alternate plan: Fixed 4-year degree price, with or without discount, but… Benefits some institutions more than others Would need to be revisited every few years
Context: Campus commitment to students in tight budget year Significant savings for students, dependent on “stable &
predictable state funding” to safeguard academic excellence, provide necessary supports
Costs & Exposures
Commonwealth Commitment
Plan created from ground up, not imposed from top down (as in TX, FL)
No other state taking this approach , say AAC&U, SHEEO
Potential to: Raise system profile Boost enrollment Improve completion rates,
rate of degree production Help meet Vision Project goals
to deliver “best-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation”
Benefits
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