Budget Amendment ID: FY2027-S4-681

EDU 681

Free Community College Program Integrity

Mr. Tarr moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 1596-2501, by adding the following words:-"provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, eligibility for financial assistance under this item shall be limited to students who are: (i) citizens or nationals of the United States; (ii) lawful permanent residents; (iii) individuals lawfully present in the United States pursuant to federal law; or (iv) individuals who have applied for, and are actively pursuing, an immigration status that permits lawful presence, as determined by guidelines issued by the commissioner of higher education in consultation with the executive office of education; provided further, that such guidelines shall include acceptable documentation demonstrating lawful presence or a pending application for lawful presence, and shall require that any student seeking eligibility under clause (iv) attest, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that the information and documentation submitted to establish such eligibility is true and complete to the best of the student’s knowledge; provided further, that if a student qualifies for financial assistance under this item on the basis of a pending application for an immigration status that permits lawful presence, and such application is subsequently denied with all administrative appeals exhausted, the department of higher education or the community college at which the student is enrolled may seek repayment of the financial assistance awarded for any semester in which the student was not lawfully present; provided further, that the commissioner of higher education shall establish procedures for notice, appeal and repayment that ensure due process and protect students from undue hardship, including the ability to enter into reasonable repayment plans."