Statement on FY2026 Conference Committee Budget

July 1, 2025

As a research and policy institute committed to advancing access, affordability, student success, and high-quality public higher education in Massachusetts, we want to begin by expressing our appreciation to the members of the Legislature for finalizing the Conference Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal. We recognize the extraordinary challenge of crafting a balanced budget amid a shifting and uncertain federal landscape. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication in reaching agreement on this year's spending plan.

At the same time, we feel compelled to raise concerns about how the FY2026 Conference Committee budget, as sent to the Governor’s desk, falls short of fully supporting the Commonwealth’s long-term goals for equity and excellence in higher education.

Over the past two fiscal years, new Fair Share surtax revenues have made it possible to begin addressing long-standing gaps in public higher education funding, most visibly through the expansion of tuition-free community college. These historic investments were framed as a first step toward broader, sustained effort: one that would build on initial access gains by strengthening student supports, addressing basic needs, improving institutional capacity, and ensuring fair compensation for faculty and staff.

Unfortunately, the FY2026 budget does not reflect the next phase of that vision.

Of the $2.4 billion generated through the Fair Share surtax, just 11%—or $234 million—was allocated to higher education, a $5 million decrease from FY2025. Meanwhile, General Fund support remains stagnant, still largely insufficient to meet today’s challenges or to deliver on the promise of affordable, high-quality public higher education for all.

• The general scholarship line is flat-funded once again.

• Higher education line items saw an average increase of just 0.5%.

• Institutional funding increases remain modest and do not keep pace with inflation:

• Community Colleges: +1.8%

• State Universities: +2.2%

• UMass: +8.8%

Without consistent, strategic reinvestment, tuition-free community college risks becoming a hollow promise. While equity in access is essential, it does not automatically translate into equitable outcomes in student success or completion.

As federal support for higher education declines and student needs grow more complex, Massachusetts faces a critical juncture. We must resist the tendency to return to historic patterns of underinvestment and instead lead the nation in making higher education a true engine of opportunity and equity.

It is important to recall that Fair Share funds were not intended to replace core funding, but to expand what is possible. Relying on these revenues to cover existing commitments—while leaving foundational line items stagnant—risks undermining both the intent and long-term impact of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.

To fulfill the promise of the Fair Share Amendment, we urge the Legislature to commit to allocating at least 25% of Fair Share revenues to public higher education in future budgets, and to reestablish robust, reliable funding through the General Fund. Only then can Massachusetts fully realize a public higher education system that is affordable, high-quality, and inclusive—one that strengthens our students, our communities, and our economy for generations to come.