HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3113        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1221

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Natalie M. Higgins

_________________

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 to guarantee debt-free public higher education.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

1/18/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2019

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/20/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

1/22/2019

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/22/2019

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/22/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/23/2019

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/23/2019

Nick Collins

First Suffolk

1/23/2019

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

1/23/2019

Gerard J. Cassidy

9th Plymouth

1/23/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/23/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/23/2019

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

1/23/2019

Dylan A. Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

1/25/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

1/25/2019

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

1/26/2019

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

1/26/2019

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

1/27/2019

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/27/2019

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/28/2019

Elizabeth A. Malia

11th Suffolk

1/28/2019

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

1/28/2019

Adrian C. Madaro

1st Suffolk

1/28/2019

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/29/2019

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Daniel M. Donahue

16th Worcester

1/29/2019

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Joseph A. Boncore

First Suffolk and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

1/30/2019

Daniel Cahill

10th Essex

1/30/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

1/30/2019

Bud L. Williams

11th Hampden

1/30/2019

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

1/30/2019

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

1/30/2019

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Liz Miranda

5th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

1/31/2019

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2019

Christina A. Minicucci

14th Essex

1/31/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/31/2019

Peter Capano

11th Essex

1/31/2019

Daniel R. Cullinane

12th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

2/1/2019

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

2/1/2019

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

2/1/2019

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

2/1/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

2/1/2019

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

2/1/2019

Eric P. Lesser

First Hampden and Hampshire

2/1/2019

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

2/1/2019

Chynah Tyler

7th Suffolk

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3113        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1221

By Ms. Higgins of Leominster, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1221) of Natalie M. Higgins and others relative to free public higher education.  Higher Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act to guarantee 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. Section 1 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “opportunities.” in line 14 the following words:-

It is hereby further declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to guarantee free public higher education as a right for all residents.

SECTION 2. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 45. (a) Definitions

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

“Board”, the Board of Higher Education.

“Eligible Student”, a resident of the commonwealth as determined by the board of higher education's residency status for tuition classification purposes, who has attained a high school diploma or its equivalent in the commonwealth, who is admitted to and enrolled in a Massachusetts public college or university or other public certificate, vocational, or adult education program, and who is enrolled full-time or part-time, and who maintains a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the board shall create a grant program to pay the equivalent of tuition and mandatory fees to an eligible student at any Massachusetts public college or university, or certificate, vocational, or training program at a public institution, up to the equivalent of four years of public college or university.

(c) The grant shall supplement and shall not replace state grants, gift aid, institutional aid, or federal aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process. The board shall promulgate regulations to ensure funds from this program do not affect eligibility for other state grants, gift aid, institutional aid, or federal aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process.

(d) All public higher education and public vocational training institutions shall be considered eligible institutions for this program and there shall be no restrictions on a student’s choice of academic programs.

(e) The board shall provide an annual notice of eligibility for this program to all eligible students and all new graduates from a Massachusetts high school or GED program. The board will maintain a database of all students currently or potentially eligible for this program.