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Higher education incentive, vocational course legislation approved by legislative committee12:00AM / Monday, January 12, 2004
 | | Peter Larkin (iBerkshires file photo) |
The state legislature's joint committee on education, arts & humanities has approved legislation that would further encourage public higher education institutions to raise private funds and legislation that would extend the community college workforce training incentive program to vocationally-oriented courses.
Both measures were sponsored by State Representative Peter J. Larkin, who serves as assistant vice-chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
“House 1838 would continue the endowment incentive program and increase the cap on state funds that could be used to match private funds at UMass, our state colleges and our community colleges,” Larkin stated, in a press release. “By having the ability to provide more incentives for private fundraising, we increase the ability for our colleges and universities to partner with the private sector and improve all aspects of higher education.”
Under the current state law, the Commonwealth has established an endowment incentive program to encourage public higher education institutions to raise private funds. State matching funds are available, subject to appropriation, in the amount of $1 for every $2 or more raised from private sources. The law also imposes a cap on state funds: $25 million for the University of Massachusetts; $2.5 million for each state college; and $1 million for each community college.
Larkin’s legislation would increase the cap on state funds: from $25 million to $50 million for the University of Massachusetts; from $2.5 million to $5 million for each state college; and from $1 million to $2 million for each community college.
House 1832, also filed by Larkin, would continue and broaden the community college workforce training incentive program to include for-credit vocationally-oriented training and courses.
“This legislation would permit for-credit vocationally-oriented courses to be treated in the same way that not-for-credit programs are currently treated,” Larkin noted. “Our state matching grants for this program should go towards those courses that provide people with the credentials that they need to get jobs in the knowledge economy of the 21st Century.”
Under current law, the workforce training incentive program at community colleges provides state matching grant funds, subject to appropriation, ($200 state/$1,000 non-state) for revenue received from Massachusetts’ employers on behalf of their employees who take not-for-credit vocationally-oriented training courses at community colleges. |
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