Massachusetts Shifts Some Funds Away From Enrollment

Massachusetts officials plan to announce today that -- for the first time in decades -- some state funds for higher education will be distributed based on plans for certain goals, not on enrollment, The Boston Globe reported. Funds will be available to colleges for plans to raise graduation rates, to improve science education or to close racial gaps in student achievement. While only a small amount of money -- $2.5 million -- is involved, officials said that the shift represented an important philosophical move for the state.