SENATE DOCKET, NO. 945        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 681

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

_________________

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 promoting access to debt-free public higher education.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Jack Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/26/2017

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/26/2017

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/27/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

1/30/2017

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/31/2017

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/31/2017

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

1/31/2017

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

2/1/2017

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Kevin G. Honan

17th Suffolk

2/3/2017

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

2/3/2017

Carmine L. Gentile

13th Middlesex

2/3/2017

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/3/2017

Natalie Higgins

4th Worcester

2/3/2017

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

2/15/2017

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

6/14/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 945        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 681

By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 681) of James B. Eldridge, Jack Lewis, Jason M. Lewis, Mike Connolly and other members of the General Court for legislation to promote access to debt-free public higher education.  Higher Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act promoting access to debt-free public higher education.

 

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. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 44 the following section:-

Section 45.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the commonwealth shall pay the tuition and mandatory curriculum fees or course fees not paid by state grants, federal grants, or gift aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process for an eligible student. An eligible student must:

(1) attend high school in the commonwealth for not less than 3 years;

(2) graduate from a high school in the commonwealth or attain the equivalent thereof in the commonwealth;

(3) be a resident of the commonwealth;

(4) have an annual family income of $200,000 or less;

(5) apply for federal and state grants and aid via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process; provided, however, that a person who is not eligible to apply for federal and state grants and aid via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process shall be exempt from the aid application requirement in this paragraph;

(6) be enrolled full-time in a program of higher education at a higher education institution listed in section 5 of chapter 15A, at a per-semester minimum course load of 15 credits;

(7) maintain a grade point average of at least 2.7; and

(8) not hold a baccalaureate or higher degree granted by a higher education institution listed in section 5 of chapter 15A.

(b) The commonwealth shall pay the housing and transportation costs for an eligible student whose annual family income is not more than the median income in the commonwealth as determined by the United States Census Bureau. The board of higher education shall create a formula for payment of housing and transportation costs; provided, however, that the formula shall take into account the living expenses in the area where the student’s higher education institute is located.