UMass Fees May Go Up

BOSTON (AP) -- Fees paid by undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts may be heading up.

The UMass Board of Trustees is expected to consider fee hikes of as much as 8 percent at its meeting next month. The increases could bring combined average tuition and fees for in-state students to $11,900 a year.

UMass officials say support for higher education has been cut in the state budget while the five-campus system is also facing the loss of federal stimulus funds.

Meanwhile, collective bargaining agreements for unionized workers are expected to cost the university system $16.7 million.

Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday defended the union contracts but said UMass and the other state universities could still do more to control expenses.

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