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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 106 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 848
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bruce E. Tarr
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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 establishing the Finish Line Scholarship Program.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 106 FILED ON: 1/10/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 848
By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 848) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation to
establish the Finish Line Scholarship Program. Higher Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 769 OF 2019-2020.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing the Finish Line 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:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official
2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after section 16, the following new section:-
3 Section 16A. Finish Line Scholarship Program
4 There shall be a Finish Line Scholarship Program to provide scholarships to cover the
5entire cost of tuition and fees for one year other than the first, in a program leading to an
6associate’s or bachelor’s degree at a Massachusetts public college or university. The scholarships
7will be available to residents of the Commonwealth in need of financial assistance whose family
8income is less than the median family income in Massachusetts.
9 The Department of Higher Education shall establish guidelines governing said program,
10which shall include but not be limited to eligibility requirements, selection criteria (such as 2 of 2
11acceptable grades and an academic plan for timely degree completion), and other guidelines
12designed to help meet the department’s goals, such as increasing overall student success and
13graduation rates, and lowering achievement gaps for high-risk students; provided, further, that
14no funds from this scholarship program may be used to pay the tuition or fees for any course or
15program offered or administered by a non-public entity and that no student shall be eligible to
16receive a scholarship from this program more than one time.
17 If funds appropriated for this program are insufficient to cover costs of qualified
18applicants, the department shall hold a lottery for available scholarships. The funds for the
19program are meant to supplement and not supplant existing scholarship funds; funds for this
20program shall not be derived from existing financial aid programs the Commonwealth
21administers.
22 The department shall provide the Joint Committee of Higher Education of the General
23Court a report analyzing the usage, achievements and costs of this program, together with
24recommendations for its future, no later than 120 days following the program’s first year of
25operation.