SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1197        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 656

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Eileen M. Donoghue

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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 codifying and reforming the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1197        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 656

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act codifying and reforming the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program.

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

SECTION 1. To provide for certain unanticipated obligations of the commonwealth, to provide for an alteration of purpose for current appropriations, and to meet certain requirements of law, the sum set forth in this section is hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise in this section, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this section, and subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. This sum shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of this item.

XXXX-XXXX for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program established in section 2 of this act………………………………………………………. $14,000,000

SECTION 2. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 19E the following section:-

Section 19F. John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program; guidelines

(a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

“Eligible institution,” an institution within the system of public institutions of higher education as identified in Section 5 of Chapter 15A of the Massachusetts General Laws, except those institutions retaining Massachusetts resident tuition payments.

“Eligible program,” any state-supported undergraduate degree program offered by an eligible institution.

“Eligible student,” an undergraduate student who has been admitted to an eligible institution and meets the following requirements:

i) has graduated from or under the auspices of a Massachusetts public high school, and as of June 2005 thru June 2015, and by the end of the junior year, was in the highest 15 percent in their district on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language Arts and Mathematics test, and scored in the Advanced category on both tests; or

as of June 2016 or thereafter, and by the end of their junior year, was in the highest 15 percent in their district on the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science test, and scored at least proficient on Science and Advanced on the other two tests;

ii) is a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year prior to the start of the academic year and who is a United States citizen or a non-citizen eligible under Federal Title IV guidelines;

iii) is enrolled full-time in a Massachusetts public college or university, and has not earned a prior bachelor’s degree;

iv) maintains a cumulative 3.5 GPA on all academic coursework at the institution awarding the degree; or if transferring, has maintained a cumulative 3.5 GPA at the transfer institution;

v) annually files the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (hereafter, FAFSA);

vi) maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress in accordance with institutional standards;

vii) is in compliance with applicable law regarding Selective Service Registration; and

viii) is not in default with applicable law regarding any Federal or State student education loans for attendance at any institution or owes a refund for any previous financial aid received.

(b) The award under this program shall be equal to the value of required tuition and fees for all state-supported undergraduate courses. The scholarship may be awarded to eligible students for a maximum of eight semesters of enrollment which must occur within six years following high school graduation; provided, however, that these semesters shall not include not include summer terms. The program shall be awarded at no cost to the institution.

(c) The State Department of Education shall annually certify the eligibility of student recipients for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. Consistent with other programs, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall provide students with a letter of eligibility and provide the Board of Higher Education and Office of Student Financial Assistance with a list of eligible students designated as Adams Scholarship recipients. Each John and Abigail Adams Scholarship recipient shall be responsible for submitting documentation of eligibility to the institution where he/she will enroll. The Office of Student Financial Assistance shall annually provide institutions with a roster of eligible students that have met the requirements of completing the FAFSA. Institutions may use this roster to verify student eligibility whenever other documentation is not available. The institution shall award scholarships equal to the value of required tuition and fees. The Adams Scholarship is a non-need based program. Financial need is not a requirement for eligibility. However, recipients must meet all requirements as defined for eligible students including filing the FASFA.

(d) The Board of Higher Education shall annually evaluate the effectiveness of this program to determine adjustments to the selection and eligibility criteria, as necessary and as warranted by state-wide performance of students on the MCAS, and by any changes to the exam contents including, but not limited to, adding Science and History test to the competency determination. Thereafter, a comprehensive evaluation shall be conducted annually to assess the program’s effectiveness, the results of which will be reported to the Governor and members of the Massachusetts Legislature.

(e) All institutions must file a State Financial Aid Participation Agreement to be maintained on file in the State Office of Student Financial Assistance.

(f) Each college and university shall maintain documentation of a recipient student’s eligibility for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. The Commissioner shall require each campus to furnish annually to the Board of Higher Education a report detailing specific information regarding recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program. The Office of Student Financial Assistance shall coordinate specification and procedures for this report. All financial books, records and documents pertaining to this program shall at all times be open to inspection, review, and audit by the Commissioner, the State Auditor or their authorized representatives who shall have access to the premises wherever such books, records, and documents are located. The institution shall retain such financial books, records, and documents for seven years. An institution may retain such records for a period of five years if approval is received from the Records Conservation Board in accordance with General Laws, Chapter 30, Section 42.