the commonwealth commitment

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?


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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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


Program at a Glance

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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


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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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


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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Questions & DiscussionCommonwealth Commitment

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