budget

Federal budget woes continue to be felt on college campuses, with across-the-board cuts putting a squeeze on academic research dollars. In a report released Friday, Moody’s Investors Services says the vast majority of research universities have seen funding reductions or delays in starting projects because of federal cuts known as sequestration.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed a $34 billion state budget on Friday, including more than $1 billion in higher education spending. That's nearly a 16 percent increase over last year.

Patrick approved the full $479 million appropriation for the University of Massachusetts, which means the system will freeze tuition and fees for students in the new academic year.