New Roadmap Charts Bold Path for Equitable Public Higher Education in Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A collective of higher education researchers, advocates, and practitioners offers a blueprint to improve student outcomes and expand economic growth and prosperity.
Boston, MA (November 13, 2025) - By 2031, nearly 75% of jobs in Massachusetts are projected to require education beyond high school, making college and career training essential to the Commonwealth’s economic future. Yet too many students—especially those from underserved communities—face deep and persistent barriers to enrollment, retention, and completion, leaving them without the opportunities they need to succeed in higher education and the workforce.
To address these challenges, the Collaborative for Higher Education Access & Opportunity (CHEAO) has released a new report, “Laying the Groundwork: Building a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education.” Developed by leading researchers, policy advocates, and practitioners from EdTrust in Massachusetts, Hildreth Institute, OneGoal, Latinos for Education, MassINC, and uAspire, the report outlines a strategic blueprint to expand access, improve student outcomes, and strengthen the state’s public higher education system.
In recent years, Massachusetts has taken bold action to expand access to higher education. Landmark initiatives—including historic investments in the expansion of MassGrant Plus, the launch of MassReconnect, the passage of tuition equity legislation, and the introduction of MassEducate—have built a strong foundation for a more accessible, inclusive, and affordable public higher education system across the state.
However, these gains now face serious pressure. Federal threats to higher education are creating new barriers for students, while both public and private colleges and universities nationwide—and especially in Massachusetts—are confronting long-term enrollment declines that threaten both institutional stability and the state’s innovation-driven economy.
In the face of these challenges, Massachusetts stands at a historic crossroads. In FY25, the Commonwealth collected $2.98 billion through the voter-approved Fair Share surtax, revenue that must be invested in education and transportation, and provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect recent progress, counteract federal setbacks, and reimagine higher education as a public good that works for every student.
The roadmap lays out a comprehensive, forward-looking framework to ensure that Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities remain accessible, affordable, and accountable. Organized around four core pillars —each addressing critical dimensions of higher education equity and effectiveness — the roadmap identifies existing challenges and offers preliminary recommendations to guide future policy decisions and build on recent state-level progress.
The four pillars include:
Access & Affordability: Ensuring higher education is both financially and academically attainable for all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds.
Student Success & Completion: Removing barriers to graduation and providing comprehensive, integrated advising and wraparound services to students, ensuring that financial aid translates into real student success.
Degree Value: Investing in institutions and adopting a multidimensional approach to measuring impact—one that reflects true cost, career readiness, and broader social benefits.
Transparency & Accountability: Building robust systems to track and report student outcomes, enabling smarter decision-making and more effective resource allocation.
Voices from the Collaborative
“After years of underinvestment in public higher education, Massachusetts has begun charting a new course that invests in student opportunity and the Commonwealth’s future workforce,” said Bahar Akman Imboden, Managing Director at Hildreth Institute. “Grounded in a student-centric approach, the four key pillars of this collective roadmap are essential to closing opportunity gaps, from access to success to degree value, and the organizations partnered here are uniquely positioned to help advance this vision through data-driven, evidence-based action.”
When considering implications of these initial recommendations, Jorge Fanjul, Executive Director of Latinos for Education Massachusetts, stated that “access to postsecondary education can be truly transformative, particularly for students who are the first in their families to go to college,” further pointing out that “education provides opportunities for students to decide their destiny.”
“Getting students in the postsecondary door is a critical, initial step in a much longer journey,” said Femi Stoltz, Director of Policy at uAspire. “College has to be affordable; that is essential to getting students from enrollment to graduation.”
Amanda Seider, Executive Director of OneGoal, pointed to additional elements critical to college completion, noting, “For many students, college is just one of several priorities they are juggling. That’s why wraparound supports, specifically advising and navigational support, are critical to student success and completion.”
“Massachusetts has made real progress expanding access and affordability, but these gains are at risk,” said Jennie Williamson, State Director of EdTrust in Massachusetts. “Federal cuts to student aid, shifting immigration policies, and new funding restrictions threaten the safety nets and inclusive campus environments that thousands of students depend on to earn their degrees—especially those from underserved backgrounds. However, with bold, strategic investments, Massachusetts can safeguard against these threats while building a public higher education system that is accessible, affordable, and built for long-term student success.”
“To get the most from these investments, Massachusetts will need a serious data strategy,” said Ben Forman, Director of the MassINC Policy Center. “The fourth pillar of the roadmap is harnessing new technologies to give policymakers, educators, and students and families better information so they can make fully informed choices.”
The release of the roadmap marks the beginning of a broader, ongoing effort to strengthen postsecondary success across Massachusetts. In the months ahead, the group is committed to expanding community-driven conversations, refining the framework and recommendations, and translating shared ideas into strategic investments and actionable policy recommendations grounded in community and stakeholder voices. As early steps in this effort, the group hosted “From Access to Completion: Scaling Higher Ed SUCCESS Programs in MA” and will present the roadmap’s findings at the upcoming statewide summit, “Meeting the Moment: Our Path to Postsecondary Success in Massachusetts,” hosted by OneGoal on November 20. The group’s presentation will serve as a platform to share next steps and gather critical feedback from a diverse network of practitioners, partners, and community leaders.
Higher education is at the heart of Massachusetts’ success, and maintaining momentum is critical to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate and thrive.
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About the Collaborative for Higher Education Access & Opportunity (CHEAO): The coauthors of this roadmap represent a small working group of 6 organizations – EdTrust in Massachusetts, Hildreth Institute, OneGoal, Latinos for Education, MassINC, and uAspire – united by a shared commitment to advancing equitable, student-centered public higher education policies in Massachusetts. Drawing on diverse expertise, we collaborate to inform evidence-based policy solutions grounded in rigorous research. Our work is guided by data-driven decision-making, student-centered policy design, and equity-focused solutions that seek to build a well-resourced public higher education system that delivers real value to all learners.
