HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 899        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 350

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sean Garballey

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to establishing a finish line grant opportunity to encourage college completion.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/19/2011

Richard Bastien

2nd Worcester

2/3/2011

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

4th Hampden

2/3/2011

Michael R. Knapik

 

2/3/2011

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

2/3/2011

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

2/4/2011

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

2/3/2011


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 899        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 350

By Mr. Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 350) of Sean Garballey and others relative to establishing the Great State of Mind Scholarship Program.  Higher Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act relative to establishing a finish line grant opportunity to encourage college completion.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 16 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following new paragraph after paragraph five:-

There shall be a Great State of Mind Scholarship Program to provide scholarships to cover the entire cost of tuition and fees for the last year leading to an associate or bachelor’s degree at a Massachusetts public college or university to residents of the Commonwealth in need of financial assistance.  The council shall establish guidelines governing said program which shall include but not be limited to eligibility requirements and selection criteria, including requiring that the applicant show that he or she will be eligible to graduate by the end of the scholarship year and has, with exceptions granted for illness, military service or other valid reasons, been a student in good standing continuously since first enrolling in a public college or university; provided, further, that no funds from this scholarship program may be used to pay the tuition or fees for any course or program offered or administered by a non-public entity and that no student shall be eligible to receive a scholarship from this program more than one time.  If funds appropriated for this program are insufficient to cover its costs, the Council shall develop a pilot program that will provide assistance to a subset of the eligible students.