BOSTON (WHDH) - University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan announced Friday that the chancellors at the school’s campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell will adjust student room, board and parking fees following the closure of residence halls in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“The financial impact of this crisis is causing real hardship for many of our students and their families. We hope that this adjustment of housing, dining and parking fees will help alleviate some of the stress they are enduring. The challenges that lie ahead for the university, its students, faculty, and staff will be complex and difficult. We are confident that by staying focused on our mission our students will emerge as strong, innovative, highly skilled contributors to society,” President Meehan, UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, UMass Boston Chancellor Katherine Newman, UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert Johnson, and UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney said in a statement.
The Amherst, Dartmouth, and Lowell campuses had more than 20,000 students living in university-owned residence halls. UMass Boston is adjusting dining and parking costs and is working with the private owner of its 1,070-bed on-campus residence halls concerning housing cost adjustments for its students.
The planned adjustments will decrease university revenues by approximately $70 million in the current fiscal year.
Under the plan, the adjustments will be applied to student university accounts. Students will then receive their net balance by direct deposit or check.
Campuses are planning to notify students of their individual cost adjustments by April 17.
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