Massachusetts investing up $3 billion to improve higher education institutions

Massachusetts is planning to invest billions of dollars into higher education and college campuses across the state, the largest such investment in educational infrastructure in decades.

Kicking the legislative year off early, the state is filing An Act to Build Resilient Infrastructure to Generate Higher Education Transformation (BRIGHT ACT) to modernize and transform Massachusetts’ UMASS system schools, public universities and community colleges. The BRIGHT Act will utilize up to $3 billion to improve infrastructure, expand mental health services and upgrade technological resources at Massachusetts’ educational institutions.

The act’s funding will be sourced from the Massachusetts’ Fair Share surtax revenue, referring to a voter-approved “millionaire” tax used to fund state transportation and public education.

The investments made through the BRIGHT bond bill will work in tandem with the state’s recently released transportation financing plan, which will also utilize a portion of Fair Share revenue to revitalize state roads, bridges and transit systems.

The BRIGHT Act looks to address aging infrastructure riddled throughout Massachusetts’ higher education campuses, which were primarily built in the 1970s. As campus infrastructure has been difficult to fund traditionally, state officials anticipate these infrastructure investments will be necessary to satiate the needs of an ever-evolving educational system.

To address these needs, the BRIGHT Act lays out a series of investments and reforms aimed at transforming the public education landscape, including:

Improving campus facilities to strengthen students’ mental, physical and wellbeing.
Incentivizing projects that improve technology capital and access, such as online or hybrid modifications.
Reinforcing the Workforce Skills Capital Grants program.
Developing housing at higher education institutions by satisfying costs associated with disposition of land and buildings.
Addressing deferred maintenance projects, modernizations, decarbonization efforts and major capital projects.
Engaging in partnerships with regional secondary and higher education institutions to build the workforce.

The bill also seeks to foster greater collaboration between regional educational institutions and industries, ensuring that the state’s public higher education system aligns more closely with workforce demands. BRIGHT’s goal is to create a seamless pipeline from education to employment, preparing students for in-demand jobs while strengthening Massachusetts’ economic future.

In addition to BRIGHT Act funding, Massachusetts’ House 1 budget proposes to leverage $125 million in Fair Share revenues to support higher education infrastructure initiatives in 2025. Over the next 10 years, these institutions will have access to an estimated $2.5 billion in state funds and borrowing to improve infrastructure.

Responding to a rise in higher education enrollment, the BRIGHT Act seeks to usher in the next generation of students and facilitators. If enacted, the act will be a transformative step in reshaping the state’s public higher education systems.

“This bond bill meets the moment. Enrollment at our two and four-year institutions is surging after years of declines,” Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega said. “This historic investment will transform our public campuses and ensure students and faculty have the absolute best environments to learn, grow and thrive.”

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