State's public colleges, universities stand to lose in budget plan

Massachusetts public colleges and universities will lose more than $100 million in state subsidies next year under Governor Deval Patrick's proposed budget, a financial blow that coincides with a sharp rise in student interest in public schools.

The spending blueprint, announced today, reduces aid to community colleges, state colleges, and the University of Massachusetts by 11.6 percent. The lost revenue could force college leaders to increase student fees when a growing number of families are struggling financially.

"This is obviously a spectacularly bad time to be doing that," said Timothy Flanagan, president of Framingham State College. "Given families' situations, we'll be trying to keep fee increases as low as possible."

Under Patrick's budget, the five-campus University of Massachusetts system would receive $416 million next fiscal year, down from $470 million. The nine state colleges would receive $185 million, a $25 million drop, and the 15 community colleges would receive $204 million, a $27 million decline.

A spokesman for the University of Massachusetts system said the cuts would force fee hikes. The university has kept tuition and fee increases below the rate of inflation the past five years.

"The reductions clearly make an increase of some magnitude inevitable," said Robert Connolly, the spokesman.

Patrick's budget did not specify how much individual schools would receive. Education officials said the reductions would vary. College officials said that not knowing their allocation hampers their budget planning.

The proposal needs legislative approval and will be debated in the coming months.

The state's $96 million financial aid budget, which ranks among the country's least generous, held steady.

Richard Freeland, the state's commissioner of higher education, said the cuts would place pressure on state and community colleges at a time of heightened demand. For a state heavily reliant on an educated workforce, Massachusetts has long trailed other states in supporting public colleges.

"This is about years, if not generations, of not funding public higher education in a fully competitive way," Freeland said.

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.