University of Massachusetts student leaders collectively wrote a letter encouraging the funds from the Fair Share Amendment be used to support public colleges and universities. The letter —compiled by student leadership throughout the UMass system — was addressed to Gov. Maura Healey and Noe Ortega, Massachusetts higher education commissioner.

The Fair Share Amendment is change to the state constitution, passed by voters in November 2022, which allows a four percent additional tax on all income above one million. The amendment is estimated to generate roughly $2 billion for transportation and public education.

The letter, co-authored and signed by ten student leaders and representing 74,000 undergraduates, emphasized the importance of helping low-income students and other underrepresented groups that attend public higher education institutions.

“The message is clear, we should be focusing on our overlooked public colleges and universities as a mechanism to boost social mobility,” the letter states.

On average, 60 percent of college-bound students in the Commonwealth seek affordable education, according to the letter. The cost to attend public institutions in Massachusetts has risen 59 percent since 2000, according to data by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This increase has greatly outpaced inflation rates.

The options for affordable higher education in Massachusetts are dwindling, leaving the majority of undergraduate students in a vulnerable position. The letter notes that money generated by the Fair Share Amendment could be used to ease these rising costs.

“The Fair Share Amendment funding is the long overdue support that our public schools have been requesting for years” said Efe Oboh-Idahosa, UMass Dartmouth student body president.

The rising cost of attendance, according to the letter, only further exacerbates, “social and economic inequities in a state renowned for its education system.”

“I speak for most students when I say that our rise in reputation is exciting, but our state must commit to keeping UMass Amherst an affordable option for low-income and first-generation college students,” stated Student Government Association President Shayan Raza, via email to the Collegian.

An increase in financial support would boost existing programs while conjunctively aiding critical issues such as housing and food insecurity, according to Neyder Fernandez, UMass Lowell student body president.

The student leaders emphasized that additional funding for public universities and colleges is vital to the success of the Commonwealth. “Without flourishing public colleges and universities, we stand to lose our competitive edge on the world stage,” the letter states.

Raza noted that it is imperative that Governor Healey commits to supporting higher education when allocating these funds. “[Consider] the impact that UMass Amherst has on international research activity and the Massachusetts economy,” he said.

The language of the Fair Share Amendment specifies that the money generated is designated only for transportation, infrastructure and public education.

Adam Lechowicz, UMass student trustee, believes that the funding generated from this amendment presents a unique opportunity to aid the student debt crisis.

“Massachusetts consistently ranks near the bottom of the 50 states when it comes to state support for public higher education, despite our reputation as the ‘education state,’” Lechowicz wrote via email to the Collegian. “Students have been left to pick up the slack in the form of rising tuition and fees.”

Lechowicz, who is pursuing a doctorate in computer science, has seen the effects of student debt first-hand. He emphasized that is important to “break the cycle.”

“Both for myself and for countless other students, including students who have dropped out of school or sacrificed their basic needs because of the insurmountable costs of attendance,” Lechowicz said.

The letter is a collaboration between student leaders from all UMass campuses which, according to Raza, is the first system-wide collaboration of its kind.

“I think the fact that students from such fundamentally different campuses and backgrounds are all coming together,” Lechowicz said, “really highlights the importance of the student debt crisis in the current day.”

“Being part of this project showcases the power of partnerships. We’ve been able to find a common goal and act on it effectively,” Fernandez said.

In the letter, the student leaders also recognized the Board of Higher Education’s Student Advisory Council and the Boston Intercollegiate Government for their preceding efforts towards this cause.

“We hope that our letter serves as a reminder that the students and the system rely on state support to continue succeeding.”

Grace Lee can be reached at [email protected].