Statement on the House FY26 Supplemental Budget
March 19, 2026
This week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed H.5264, a fiscal year (FY) 2026 supplemental budget that would utilize Fair Share surtax funds for higher education programs, among other things. The higher education line items would provide:
$18.3 million for student financial aid
$20 million for the Endowment Match program, broken down as follows:
$10 million for the University of Massachusetts
$5 million for State Universities
$5 million for Community Colleges
$5.1 million for the Tomorrow's Educators program
$10 million for the Targeted Scholarships program
We applaud the House for including $18.3 million in student financial aid. This funding is a proactive step intended to help close projected shortfalls in student aid ahead of the 2026-2027 school year.
However, with community college enrollment rising again last year, this funding level may still fall short of meeting demand. Without additional safeguards, this shortfall will force reductions that leave our lowest-income students receiving less aid than they were promised.
To provide long-term stability for students and institutions, we urge the Legislature to allocate $100 million to the Public Higher Education Student Support Fund. Investing Fair Share surtax revenues in this student aid rainy day fund would give the Commonwealth a durable mechanism to protect student aid commitments, reduce volatility caused by enrollment fluctuations, and ensure students – particularly those with the greatest financial need – are not left vulnerable to budget timing or economic uncertainty.
