UMass to scale back new fees

Increase falls by $1,100 due to aid from U.S. stimulus

By OWEN BOSS
Staff Writer

AMHERST — Thanks to an increase in federal stimulus funding, in-state, undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts will receive a $1,100 rebate for the coming school year, reducing an approved $1,500 fee increase to $400.

Earlier this year, when the college was facing a $102 million revenue shortfall for fiscal 2010, the college’s board of trustees instituted the fee increase with the hope that government support would allow them to reimburse students for a portion of the $1,500.

“We are able to go forward with this rebate because of funding steps taken by Gov. Patrick and the state Legislature,” President Jack M. Wilson said Friday. “The Governor and the Legislature have made excellence and affordability at UMass a top priority.”

While the exact details of the rebate are still being hashed out, Wilson said it will most likely be distributed by way of a $550 rebate in the fall semester, followed by another $550 in the spring.
The rebates will help make the coming school year the sixth consecutive year that the student-charge increase at the college will be at or below the rate of inflation — a statistic about which Wilson said he is particularly proud.

“It’s a tremendous record,” Wilson said. “I feel good about that. I’m glad we were able to do it this year. Frankly, I thought the record was going to end and I’m glad we got it all worked out.”

The rebate will be extended to every in-state student at all of the college’s five campuses, Wilson said, but those receiving financial aid may not see much of a change in their net cost of education because for many aid recipients, the fee increase had already been offset by an increase in financial aid.

Of the college’s 60,000 annual students, about half receive financial aid, Wilson said.

Although federal support bailed out this year’s students, Wilson said he doesn’t expect the college will receive the same amount of stimulus money next year.

“We have a challenge ahead of us and it’s uncertain how we’re going to cope with the setback if we’re level-funded next year. Without the stimulus, we’d be looking at a $115 million budget cut. That would be daunting,” Wilson said.

However, Wilson is remaining optimistic that an economic turnaround in the coming year could bring more savings for students attending the college.

“At least this buys us one year,” Wilson said. “We of course are very hopeful that the state’s economic situation will improve and if that happens, we might see some additional funding in the future.”

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com