The SWM released its budget recommendations for FY23 which includes many notable highlights for the Department, the Community Colleges, and State Universities. The Department’s scholarship line item (7070-0065) received a $44.5M increase over the FY22 GAA amount, with proposed $35.7M increase in MassGrant and Mass Grant Plus as well as substantial commitment to funding the Gilbert Grant ($22m) and the Early Educator Scholarships ($5M). The SWM budget also adds $4M for a new line item for Student’s Behavioral Health.
SWM increased the Commonwealth Dual Enrolment program by $3M, matching the Board’s recommendation. The Senate budget also eliminated funding for the Community College Workforce Grants program as well as for STEM Starter Academies, Bridges to College, and PACE; all of which is in line with what the Senate has done in past years.
Finally, the SWM budget increased the State University and Community College line items by $25.4M and $10.5M for the segments respectively. These increases reflect the annualization of the FY22 funding formula allocations. The Senate budget also increased the funding for both formula funding line items for FY23 to 3% of base appropriations. In total, the SWM budget proposal represents an additional $88.1M in state funding over the FY22 budget to support the work of the Department and the Community Colleges and State Universities.
The Board of Higher Education thanks Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues, and all the members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee for their continued support of DHE’s important work. You can find the entire Senate Ways and Means budget here.
The full Senate will take up the Ways and Means Committee’s recommendation as well as amendments to the budget proposal during the week of May 24-28. Following that debate, a House and Senate Conference Committee will meet to iron out differences between each chamber’s budgets, with a goal of presenting a final FY 2023 budget to Governor Baker by the end of June.
Connect @MassDHE
