FRAMINGHAM

Scholars minus their scholarships

By Scott W. Helman, Globe Staff Correspondent, 11/30/2001

hristianne Nealon came to Framingham State College for two reasons: its reputation for churning out well-qualified teachers and her favorable financial aid package.

Although the 21-year-old junior from Holyoke plans to continue pursuing a dual degree in psychology and elementary education, Nealon is among thousands of students statewide faced with the possibility of having their aid reduced mid-year.

The $22.6 billion budget approved by the Legislature last week includes a $10 million cut in scholarship funding, on which thousands of students at state colleges and universities rely.

''I decided that a state school was all we could really afford,'' said Nealon, one of many students at Framingham State who share $1.5 million in state assistance. ''Actually, the aid has helped out a lot, and it was a factor in my deciding to come here.''

Nealon, who works 10 hours a week for the college president, Helen L. Heineman, said she could find another job if the aid dried up, but that might mean cutting weekend trips home or extracurricular activities. ''This is really all I can work out,'' she said.

After years of progress in attracting a broader base of students, Framingham State College officials fear the proposed cuts in financial aid - and the $50 million overall reduction in state higher education spending this fiscal year - will halt many significant gains. The McNair program, which helps minority students in the state pay for college, was also cut. ''You cannot give, take away, give, and take away if you're going to have a steady and organic growth of any academic institution,'' Heineman said.

Scrambling to make new arrangements halfway through the academic year, officials at state colleges and universities across Massachusetts are working with the Board of Higher Education to maintain the levels of opportunity they've worked to build for low-income and minority high school graduates, said Judith Gill, chancellor of the board. ''Everyone is committed to doing everything we can to work collaboratively in order to maintain access and affordability for the students,'' she said.

Since the Board of Higher Education began lowering tuition at state institutions in 1995-1996, the average cost of attending a state college has dropped 11 percent; the average cost of attending community college has dropped 14.4 percent.

But the institutions set the fees, which Gill predicted are likely to rise if the cuts remain. Heineman said Framingham State, the least expensive of the nine state colleges, may have to consider raising fees in coming years.

''We're not looking to go backwards,'' said Dale Hamel, vice president for administration and finance at Framingham State, where tuition, fees, room and board currently come to less than $7,200 annually.

Gill said she was confident the Swift administration understood the gravity of the cuts.

Dominick Ianno, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, said Swift will file a $500 million to $600 million supplemental budget tomorrow that corrects ''egregious mistakes'' in the Legislature's budget, such as the cut in financial aid cut. ''We can't imagine they would have intended to cut off scholarship money to 30,000 low-income students,'' Ianno said.

The Legislature is expected to act on that budget and Swift's vetoes on Wednesday.

If the cuts aren't restored, Heineman said, expect ripple effects throughout the state's economy. Eighty percent of Framingham State College graduates enter the Massachusetts workforce; the college also turns out 60 percent of the state's teachers.

Heineman said she was glad to see the state's commitment to K-12 education, but state officials ought not distinguish between that and higher education. ''I hate this `higher education.' I think it's `education,''' she said. ''Of course you need K-12, but that's not enough. And what can you do with a 12th-grade education?''

The state budget has also presented Framingham State with a $675,000 operating budget deficit, which the college will close in part by not filling staff positions and reallocating capital dollars.

This story ran on page B2 of the Boston Globe on 11/30/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.