Meehan wants UMass tuition freeze in 2020-2021

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan will seek a tuition freeze for the tens of thousands of in-state undergraduate students in the system, hoping to help ease financial burden on families strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, his office announced Wednesday.

Meehan will ask the UMass Board of Trustees to keep tuition at its current level for the 2020-2021 academic year when the board votes on student fees in June. If approved, Meehan's proposal would affect nearly 50,000 students in Massachusetts and would be the first time in six years without a tuition increase for UMass undergraduates.

The university system is facing major financial uncertainty because of the statewide economic downturn, but Meehan said in a press release that avoiding a hike is "the right thing to do."

"During this time of stress and uncertainty for our students and their families, we need to keep our high-quality programs and the benefits of a UMass degree as accessible and affordable as possible," Meehan said. "In addition to keeping tuition at current levels, we are taking steps to ensure that those students facing the steepest financial challenges will not see their dream of earning a UMass degree cut short."

A Meehan spokesman said no decision has been made yet on what the president will recommend for out-of-state undergraduate or graduate student tuitions. The board's administration and finance committee will recommend student fees at a June 10 meeting, and the full board is then scheduled to vote on June 17.

Meehan's announcement comes without any indication from the Legislature about public higher education funding in the fiscal 2021 budget, which has been delayed. A final state budget may not be ready this year until sometime this summer. An aide declined to say if the tuition-freeze is dependent on the outcome of budget negotiations.

Last year, the UMass Board of Trustees approved a 2.5 percent hike for in-state undergraduate students, the fifth straight year of a tuition increase.

UMass schools will continue to offer direct grant aid to students next academic year, Meehan's office said, noting that it provided $395 million in financial aid during the current academic year. The campuses paid $65 million in reimbursements to families for room and board costs this spring after every school shut down dormitories to prevent the spread of COVID-19.