“This is the moment.”

Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton)

“We are losing valuable faculty and staff mid-career to other colleges and careers.”

Massachusetts Community College Council President Claudine Barnes

“The Commonwealth owns the land and the buildings, so it has a responsibility to take care of them.”

Salem State University Professor Joanna Gonsalves, who is part of a statewide campus debt relief project

“The experiences, mentorship and opportunities that I have had at UMass made me realize the true disservice being done by all universities that neglect to provide students with full-time academic advisors.” 

UMass Amherst student Clare Sheedy

“We change lives. We change communities.” 

Greenfield Community College adjunct math instructor Phyllis Keenan

“We have a massive need for well educated people who fall somewhere between a high school diploma and a full four-year degree.” 

Former Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki

Students, educators, business leaders and legislators are organizing for debt-free public higher education, increased student support, fair and equitable pay for all faculty and staff, and a return to a model in which the state covers the cost of campus building and maintenance needs.