DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — After the University of Massachusetts announced a 2.5% rise in tuition costs across all campuses, UMass Dartmouth students are pushing back.
Over 18,000 have signed onto an online petition calling for a halt to the planned increase, citing the current state of inflation on top of lasting financial pressure from the pandemic.
The UMass Unions United Dartmouth Coalition is showing support for the students' push. Wendy Morrill leads the group of employee unions on campus.
"We don't feel that, considering the rough economic times that everyone is experiencing right now, that this is the right time to do something like that," Morrill said.
She says the employee coalition agrees with the students argument, saying their tuition dollars should go toward better working, learning, and living conditions—not the pockets of UMass leadership.
"You're talking about dorms that are run down and spaces that they work and learn in not being up to par," Morrill said. "They're not getting their money's worth."
A rally will be held outside the State House on Monday, May 16th to continue calling for a freeze on the tuition increase.
WBZ's Tim Dunn (@considermedunn) reports: