New Roadmap Charts Bold Path for Equitable Public Higher Education in Massachusetts – MassINC

Report on a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education

Introduction: Aligning State Education with Global Sustainable Development Goals

A projection indicates that by 2031, nearly 75% of jobs in Massachusetts will necessitate education beyond the secondary level. This forecast underscores the critical role of higher education in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) for the Commonwealth. However, significant and persistent barriers to higher education enrollment, retention, and completion exist, particularly for students from underserved communities. These challenges impede progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), limiting opportunities for individual success and broader economic prosperity.

In response, EdTrust in Massachusetts, through a multi-stakeholder partnership aligned with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), has released a new report titled, “Laying the Groundwork: Building a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education.” This report, developed with the Collaborative for Higher Education Access & Opportunity (CHEAO) and other key organizations, presents a strategic blueprint to advance educational equity and strengthen the state’s public higher education system.

Strategic Context: Opportunities and Challenges for SDG Advancement

Recent Progress and Impending Threats

Massachusetts has recently implemented several landmark initiatives to expand access to higher education, directly supporting the targets of SDG 4. These include:

• Historic investments in the MassGrant Plus program.
• The launch of the MassReconnect initiative.
• The passage of tuition equity legislation.
• The introduction of MassEducate.

These actions have established a foundation for a more inclusive and affordable public higher education system. However, this progress is under pressure from federal policy shifts and long-term enrollment declines, which threaten institutional stability and the state’s capacity to meet the demands of an innovation-driven economy. A significant financial opportunity exists with the $2.98 billion collected in FY25 through the Fair Share surtax. Strategic investment of this revenue is essential to protect recent gains and reimagine higher education as a public good, thereby accelerating progress on SDGs 4, 8, and 10.

A Four-Pillar Framework for Sustainable Higher Education

Core Components of the Policy Roadmap

The report outlines a comprehensive framework organized around four core pillars, each designed to address critical dimensions of higher education in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Access & Affordability: This pillar focuses on ensuring higher education is financially and academically attainable for all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds. It directly addresses SDG 4, Target 4.3 (ensure equal access to affordable and quality tertiary education) and SDG 10 by seeking to reduce inequalities of outcome.
2. Student Success & Completion: By advocating for the removal of graduation barriers and the provision of comprehensive wraparound services, this pillar aims to ensure that financial aid translates into successful degree completion. This supports the overarching goal of SDG 4 to provide inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
3. Degree Value: This component calls for investment in institutions and a multidimensional approach to measuring impact, reflecting true cost, career readiness, and broader social benefits. This aligns with SDG 4, Target 4.4 (increase the number of adults with relevant skills for employment) and SDG 8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth).
4. Transparency & Accountability: The final pillar emphasizes building robust data systems to track and report student outcomes. This enables evidence-based decision-making and effective resource allocation, a key principle for monitoring progress towards all Sustainable Development Goals.

Stakeholder Commitment to Action

Future Directives

The release of this roadmap signifies the start of a sustained, collaborative effort. EdTrust in Massachusetts and its CHEAO partners are committed to advancing this agenda through community-driven conversations to refine the framework and translate its principles into actionable policy and strategic investments. This ongoing process, rooted in stakeholder engagement, is critical to ensuring that Massachusetts can maintain momentum and build a public higher education system that empowers every student to thrive, contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future for the Commonwealth.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article’s central theme is improving the public higher education system in Massachusetts. It focuses on ensuring access, affordability, and completion for all students, which is the core mission of SDG 4. The report mentioned, “Laying the Groundwork,” aims to create a “more accessible, inclusive, and affordable public higher education system.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article directly links higher education to economic prosperity and workforce development. It opens by stating that “nearly 75% of jobs in Massachusetts are projected to require education beyond high school, making college and career training essential to the Commonwealth’s economic future.” This highlights the role of education in preparing a skilled workforce to sustain the state’s “innovation-driven economy.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  A significant focus of the article is on equity and the challenges faced by specific student populations. It repeatedly mentions the need to address “deep and persistent barriers” for “students—especially those from underserved communities.” The roadmap’s pillars and the partners’ statements emphasize closing “opportunity gaps” and ensuring education is transformative for “students who are the first in their families to go to college.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article describes a collaborative effort to address the challenges in higher education. The report was developed by EdTrust in Massachusetts in partnership with the Collaborative for Higher Education Access & Opportunity (CHEAO), which includes organizations like the Hildreth Institute, OneGoal, Latinos for Education, the MassINC Policy Center, and uAspire. This multi-stakeholder collaboration to create a policy roadmap exemplifies the spirit of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

   This target is directly addressed by the roadmap’s first pillar, “Access & Affordability: Ensuring higher education is both financially and academically attainable for all students.” Initiatives mentioned, such as the expansion of MassGrant Plus, MassReconnect, and tuition equity legislation, are concrete actions aimed at achieving this target.

2. Target 4.4: Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

   The article connects education directly to workforce needs, citing the projection that 75% of future jobs will require post-secondary education. The roadmap’s third pillar, “Degree Value,” which includes measuring “career readiness,” aligns with the goal of ensuring education provides relevant skills for employment.

3. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.

   The article’s focus on removing barriers for “underserved communities” and closing “opportunity gaps” is a direct reflection of this target. The passage of “tuition equity legislation” is a specific policy action mentioned that aims to reduce inequalities of outcome for certain student populations.

4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

   The entire initiative described in the article is an example of this target. The partnership between EdTrust, CHEAO, and its member organizations (Hildreth Institute, OneGoal, Latinos for Education, etc.) to develop and advocate for a policy roadmap demonstrates a “data-driven, evidence-based action” by a civil society partnership to influence public policy.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Enrollment, Retention, and Completion Rates

  The article explicitly identifies “enrollment, retention, and completion” as areas where students face barriers. These three metrics are direct indicators for measuring student success and the effectiveness of policies aimed at achieving Target 4.3. The fourth pillar, “Transparency & Accountability,” calls for systems to “track and report student outcomes,” implying these rates are key indicators.

• Disaggregated Student Outcome Data

  To measure progress on Target 10.3 (Reduced Inequalities), the article implies the need for data disaggregated by demographic groups. The focus on “underserved communities” and “students who are the first in their families to go to college” necessitates tracking outcomes (like enrollment and completion rates) for these specific groups to see if “opportunity gaps” are closing.

• Measures of Degree Value and Career Readiness

  The article suggests moving beyond simple completion rates to measure the effectiveness of education. The third pillar, “Degree Value,” proposes a “multidimensional approach to measuring impact—one that reflects true cost, career readiness, and broader social benefits.” These serve as indicators for Target 4.4, assessing whether education is providing relevant skills for the workforce.

• Proportion of Jobs Requiring Higher Education

  The statistic that “nearly 75% of jobs in Massachusetts are projected to require education beyond high school” serves as a contextual indicator for Target 8.6. It sets a benchmark for the level of educational attainment the workforce needs to achieve for continued economic growth.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: massinc.org