UMass raising in-state tuition, fees $826

“Our challenge is to preserve quality for our students, while at the same time doing everything we can to maintain access and affordability,’’ UMass President Jack M. Wilson said in the statement. “Addressing the budget shortfall with equal amounts of new fee revenue and budget cuts is a balanced and responsible approach.’’

Recent UMass Boston graduate Alex Kulenovic, organizing director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, which advocates for affordable public college education, said in a phone interview that the increase was “very bad news’’ but not surprising.

“It’s a result of the state again failing in its responsibility to fund the higher education system adequately,’’ he said.

Robert P. Connolly, a spokesman for UMass, said the university system is expected to receive about $425 million in state funding for the fiscal year beginning in July, the same amount as the current year.

University officials said in the news release that the fee hike was necessary mainly because a federal stimulus program, which provided $38 million in funding this year, has ended.

Wilson and the university chancellors will devote 29 percent of money generated by the fee increases to providing financial aid, the statement said.

The average annual tuition and fee increase in the system has been 5 percent over the last eight years, while spending on financial aid has jumped more than 260 percent to $131 million, the statement said.

Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@globe.com.