Westfield State hosted the annual Western Massachusetts Public Higher Education Legislative Breakfast on March 2, where Western Massachusetts legislators were thanked for their support of public higher education and provided with an update of initiatives spearheaded by Massachusetts public colleges and universities.
In response, State Rep. John Scibak, chair of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Higher Education, admitted that although funds have diminished due to shrinking budgets and additional funding obligations, more needs to be done to help public higher education. He recognized the need to address affordability and applauded efforts by colleges to offer dual enrollment programs with high schools. Rep. Scibak hopes that more will be done in the future and is encouraged with statistics indicating that most Massachusetts public college graduates stay in the state and help contribute to the workforce and economy, making public higher education a sound investment.