Many Mass. state universities raising fees

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Westfield State University is the only one of Massachusetts' nine state universities that has not approved fee hikes for next fall.

According to the Boston Globe, the eight universities that will be raising their fees by 6%, for the 2012-2013 academic year, are: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Bridgewater State, Framingham State, Fitchburg State, Salem State, Worcester State, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Mass. Maritime.

This increase is even higher than the nearly 5% fee increases that were approved for the separate UMass school system.

College affordability advocates are saying that these fee increases will only add to the financial burden of student--especially those coming from low-income households. But University officials say they were left with no other choice, after finding out that there would be a decline in state funding for the fall.

Unfortunately this is not welcoming news to those who look forward to college. However, experts say this is just another example of why students should start saving and applying for scholarships as early as possible.