LANSING, Mich. — Following adoption of the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget, the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) issued the following statement, which can be attributed to MASU CEO Daniel Hurley:

“The state higher education budget for Fiscal Year 2027 fails to provide a real, ongoing increase in funding for university operations. Unfortunately, this will translate into tuition increases for students and families across Michigan.

For the second consecutive year, state lawmakers chose to use a ‘one-time’ budget maneuver rather than supporting new ongoing dollars to the base funding that supports public university operations. ‘One-time’ dollars can only be used for one-time purchases, even though most university spending is ongoing, year after year, supporting faculty and staff compensation, employee healthcare, and essential campus operations such as utilities, fuel, and maintenance.

In fact, public universities have received only a 1.5% increase in ongoing state funding over the past three budget cycles, while inflation has increased by 8.9%. Operating costs continue to rise, yet state support for public universities continues to decline, shifting the burden of paying for college to students and their families.

That’s not a sustainable path toward improving college access and affordability, boosting education attainment, increasing personal incomes, and driving economic growth that benefits all Michiganders.

Michigan’s public universities are vital engines of talent and economic development for our state. Despite this disappointing budget, these institutions will continue to collaborate, cut costs, and maximize efficiencies to keep college affordable, while supporting students and generating the talent needed by Michigan’s employers.”