(MyFoxBoston.com) -- On Thursday, former congressman and UMass Chancellor Marty Meehan was sworn in as the 27th president of the University of Massachusetts.
Political dignitaries from across the state gathered for the inauguration. Our Political Reporter Sharman Sacchetti was there and asked him how he plans to keep the system affordable.
She did some checking and found UMass Amherst's site says tuition and fees for the 2015-2016 school year comes to more than $14,000. And this year fees are going up. So what's he doing to help families? Sacchetti asked him.
"Not so much tuition, but fees are expensive," he said.
At the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, Meehan was inaugurated Thursday amid pomp and circumstance, and surrounded by political dignitaries. The governor, members of the Congressional Delegation and former UMass presidents including Billy Bulger all attended.
Sacchetti caught up with him after to take the concerns of students directly to him.
After some wrangling with the senate president, Meehan eventually granted the extra $10.9 million to fill a budget deficit to go toward faculty raises. But students fees are still going up, by $900.
Meehan's inauguration is costing between $60- and $70,000, paid for by private donations.
Cox Media Group
