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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 610 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 815 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Joanne M. Comerford |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act improving access to affordable community college. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester 1 of 4 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 610 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 815 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 815) of Joanne M. Comerford |
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| 19 | 19 | | for legislation to improve access to affordable community college. Higher Education. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act improving access to affordable community college. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 19 of chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2adding the following paragraph:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, tuition and fee waivers under this section |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4for students attending community college shall include courses that are not state-supported, |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5including summer sessions, evening classes and online courses. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6 SECTION 2. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7section 1T the following section:- |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8 Section 1U. (a) Before graduating from high school, each student shall complete and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9submit a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) form. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10 (b) A student shall not be required to comply with subsection (a) if the student’s parent or |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11guardian, or school counselor submits a signed waiver form indicating that the parent or guardian 2 of 4 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12understands the use and benefits of a FAFSA and declines to complete and submit a free FAFSA |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13form; provided, that a student over age 18 may sign such waiver on the student’s own behalf. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14 (c) The commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education shall |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15determine procedures to implement this section, including any forms necessary under subsection |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16(b). The procedures shall include processes to ensure compliance with federal law regarding |
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| 44 | 44 | | 17confidentiality of family financial information and student educational information, including the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 18Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g), and any other |
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| 46 | 46 | | 19state or federal law relating to the privacy of student information. The commissioner shall direct |
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| 47 | 47 | | 20high schools to provide information to students and parents on the value of completing the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 21FAFSA form, including an explanation to each high school senior of the state-sponsored |
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| 49 | 49 | | 22scholarships, financial aid and assistance available to students attending college or post- |
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| 50 | 50 | | 23secondary education. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 24 (d) The department of elementary and secondary education shall work with the office of |
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| 52 | 52 | | 25student financial assistance of the department of higher education to inform high school students |
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| 53 | 53 | | 26prior to their senior year on the availability of financial assistance for college and other post- |
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| 54 | 54 | | 27secondary education and the role of the FAFSA form in accessing the assistance. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 28 (e) Each school district shall report to the department of elementary and secondary |
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| 56 | 56 | | 29education (i) the number of students who completed and submitted a financial aid application |
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| 57 | 57 | | 30under subsection (a) and (ii) the number of students who received an exception from complying |
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| 58 | 58 | | 31with subsection (a) under subsection (b). The department shall annually report data collected |
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| 59 | 59 | | 32under this subsection, along with an analysis of the data, including trends. The report and 3 of 4 |
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| 60 | 60 | | 33analysis shall be provided to the secretary of education, the commissioner of higher education, |
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| 61 | 61 | | 34the joint committee on education and shall be posted on the website of the department. |
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| 62 | 62 | | 35 (f) The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish an advisory |
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| 63 | 63 | | 36committee to advise the department in implementing this section. The advisory committee shall |
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| 64 | 64 | | 37be composed of persons representing: (i) high school counselors; (ii) high school teachers and |
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| 65 | 65 | | 38administrators; (iii) high school students and parents; (iv) higher education admissions and |
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| 66 | 66 | | 39financial aid staff, from all segments of public higher education and private higher education |
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| 67 | 67 | | 40institutions; and (v) the department of higher education. In implementing this section, the |
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| 68 | 68 | | 41commissioner shall review the implementation of similar requirements in other states. |
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| 69 | 69 | | 42 SECTION 3. The department of higher education, in consultation with department of |
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| 70 | 70 | | 43elementary and secondary education, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, and |
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| 71 | 71 | | 44the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges shall develop materials, including an |
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| 72 | 72 | | 45informational pamphlet and web site, to inform high school juniors and seniors of affordable and |
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| 73 | 73 | | 46accessible higher educational opportunities, particularly opportunities at public community |
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| 74 | 74 | | 47colleges. The materials shall include information highlighting the ease of the application process, |
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| 75 | 75 | | 48including online applications and applications that do not require an application fee. The |
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| 76 | 76 | | 49materials shall provide information on the availability of financial aid and the financial aid |
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| 77 | 77 | | 50application process. The materials shall include a map showing the location of community |
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| 78 | 78 | | 51colleges in the commonwealth. |
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| 79 | 79 | | 52 The materials may include other information as determined by the department of higher |
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| 80 | 80 | | 53education. In preparing the materials, the department of higher education shall consult with |
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| 81 | 81 | | 54admissions and financial aid counselors at community colleges and students in high school and 4 of 4 |
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| 82 | 82 | | 55community college from various regions of the commonwealth. The online materials shall |
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| 83 | 83 | | 56include a form to allow students and parents to request further information and provide feedback |
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| 84 | 84 | | 57regarding the web site. |
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| 85 | 85 | | 58 The department of elementary and secondary education shall distribute the materials to |
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| 86 | 86 | | 59all high school juniors and seniors in the commonwealth. |
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