Representative Brad Hill Calls for Review of Tuition and Fee Hikes at UMass Campuses

Assistant House Minority Leader Brad Hill (R-Ipswich) spoke with WWLP Channel 22’s Tiffany Chan yesterday about the need to revisit tuition and fee increases at the University of Massachusetts.  The report is posted below, along with the segment that aired last night.

It’s getting more expensive for people to attend the University of Massachusetts. Students will see their tuition and fees go up by five percent this upcoming school year. 22News found a few state lawmakers who are concerned by all of these expenses.

“It’s another potential economic crisis that, left unchecked, is going to effect a lot of young people for a very long time,” said Peru Democrat Paul Mark.

The UMass Board of Trustees approved the tuition and fee hike before the state finalized its spending plan. In July, Governor Charlie Baker signed a state budget into law that includes nearly $532 million dollars in funding for the UMass system. That’s $20 million dollars more than the previous year.

Senate President Stan Rosenberg sent a letter to UMass President Marty Meehan urging him to reconsider the student fee increase now that the university is getting more money. Rosenberg told 22News, “even if you have to wait until the second semester, try to plan some kind of a reduction because these charges are really just breaking the backs of kids.”

Ipswich Republican Brad Hill believes repealing the tuition hike makes sense because UMass is receiving more funding than they expected. He said, “we need to take another look at the fees that were increased because clearly in the view on many here on Beacon Hill, they should not have been increased.”

There are 22,000 undergraduates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.