Millions In State Funds Gained For Massachusetts Public Colleges

BOSTON — Four Massachusetts public colleges and universities will share $120 million in state funding to boost student capacity and expand instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while the state will invest hundreds of millions of dollars more in higher education infrastructure improvements, officials announced Wednesday.

Salem State University, Massasoit Community College, Springfield Technical Community College and UMass Lowell will each get $30 million to put toward capital projects to reshape their campuses or modernize facilities.

The Baker administration projects that the improvements funded by the state aid will "increase enrollment capacity in these programs by about 2,000 students."

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Gov. Charlie Baker said: "They are all designed to have a significant impact on enrollment because this is a place and a space where a lot of kids are going to want to be going forward and where a significant number of opportunities to do great things in the work world once they're finished will be available to them."

He spoke at an event at Salem State University, where he and top deputies announced the funding. Alongside the STEM capital boost, the administration also announced plans to steer more than $400 million into higher education campus renovations in the coming years.

Read: UMass Dartmouth plans to raise tuition next year

About $165 million will go toward "critical building infrastructure" such as HVAC systems, elevators and energy efficiency, including a $30 million project at UMass Dartmouth to modernize the 56-year-old Liberal Arts and Sciences Building.

Another $250 million will flow to smaller but important repairs of windows, floors, bathrooms and roofs.

- Chris Lisinski/SHNS

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