MA S825

Bill

Improving access to affordable higher education

Introduced
03/29/2021

In Committee
07/11/2022

Crossed Over

Passed

Dead
12/31/2022

Introduced Session

192nd General Court

Bill Summary

For legislation to improve access to affordable higher education. Higher Education.

AI Summary

This bill aims to improve access to affordable higher education in Massachusetts. It requires the Department of Higher Education to review the state's financial aid programs, including grants, tuition waivers, and loan programs, and make recommendations for a comprehensive redesign and reform of the financial aid system. The goals of this reform include consolidating overlapping programs, reducing the burden of the application process, lowering administrative costs, and strengthening the legislature's ability to oversee and appropriate funds for student financial assistance. The Department is also required to explore the feasibility of providing all high school graduates in the state with a free application process for public institutions of higher education and automatic admission to a public community college. The Department must consult with various stakeholders, review best practices from other states, and hold public listening sessions before submitting its findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 31, 2021.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance, Education

Sponsors (5)

Jo Comerford (D)*, Sal DiDomenico (D), Elizabeth Malia (D), Mike Moore (D), Susannah Whipps (I),

Last Action

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means (on 07/11/2022)

Official Document

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S825

(23 Companion Bills)

Version:

Document Type	Source Location
State Bill Page	https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S825
Bill	https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S825.pdf

Bill	Bill Name	Last Action	Type
H1327	Expanding access to higher education tuition and fee waivers for adopted foster children	Accompanied a study order, see H5174	Similar To
H1328	Improving access to affordable higher education	No further action taken	Similar To
H1749	For uniform fiduciary access to digital assets	Accompanied a study order, see H4844	Similar To
H2500	Relative to access to constitutional rights	Accompanied a study order, see H5190	Similar To
H2786	Providing for a fair and equitable group 4 retirement benefit for police officers working on Massachusetts public higher education campuses	No further action taken	Similar To
H4018	Establishing a higher education affordability task force	Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2021	Similar To
H4056	Message from His Excellency the Governor returning with his objections thereto in writing the engrossed Bill establishing a higher education affordability task force (see House, No. 4018). August 3, 2021	See H4018	Similar To
H865	Expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor	Accompanied a study order, see H5041	Similar To
S1304	Expanding access to patient centered care for opioid use disorder	Ought NOT to pass (under Joint Rule 10) and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session	Similar To
S1346	Relative to PEG access and cable related funds	No further action taken	Similar To
S192	To provide increased access to hearing aids	Accompanied S211	Similar To
S2146	Promoting net neutrality and consumer protection	Accompanied a study order, see S2715	Similar To
S2519	To establish free access to ride to elections in Massachusetts (FARE)	Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means	Similar To
S357	To increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with regional labor market needs	Accompanied a new draft, see S2749	Similar To
S629	Improving lives by ensuring access to brain injury treatment	Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means	Similar To
S765	To increase access to urgent care centers	Accompanied a study order, see S2917	Similar To
S806	Relative to patient centered access to behavioral health services in accountable care organizations	Accompanied a study order, see S2917	Similar To
S821	Ensuring students' access to academic transcripts	Accompanied a new draft, see S2746	Similar To
S823	Providing access to higher education for high school graduates in the Commonwealth	Accompanied a study order, see S2714	Similar To
S826	Expanding access to higher education tuition and fee waivers for adopted foster children	Accompanied a study order, see S2714	Similar To
S844	To require disclosure of conflicts of interests in academic institutions	Accompanied a study order, see S2714	Similar To
S848	To establish the Bridge the Gap Scholarship to universalize access to community colleges	Accompanied a new draft, see S2812	Similar To
S849	Relative to advance placement examinations	Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means	Similar To

Bill

Bill Name

Last Action

Type

H1327

Expanding access to higher education tuition and fee waivers for adopted foster children

Accompanied a study order, see H5174

Similar To

H1328

Improving access to affordable higher education

No further action taken

Similar To

H1749

For uniform fiduciary access to digital assets

Accompanied a study order, see H4844

Similar To

H2500

Relative to access to constitutional rights

Accompanied a study order, see H5190

Similar To

H2786

Providing for a fair and equitable group 4 retirement benefit for police officers working on Massachusetts public higher education campuses

No further action taken

Similar To

H4018

Establishing a higher education affordability task force

Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2021

Similar To

H4056

Message from His Excellency the Governor returning with his objections thereto in writing the engrossed Bill establishing a higher education affordability task force (see House, No. 4018). August 3, 2021

See H4018

Similar To

H865

Expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor

Accompanied a study order, see H5041

Similar To

S1304

Expanding access to patient centered care for opioid use disorder

Ought NOT to pass (under Joint Rule 10) and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session

Similar To

S1346

Relative to PEG access and cable related funds

No further action taken

Similar To

S192

To provide increased access to hearing aids

Accompanied S211

Similar To

S2146

Promoting net neutrality and consumer protection

Accompanied a study order, see S2715

Similar To

S2519

To establish free access to ride to elections in Massachusetts (FARE)

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

Similar To

S357

To increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with regional labor market needs

Accompanied a new draft, see S2749

Similar To

S629

Improving lives by ensuring access to brain injury treatment

Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

Similar To

S765

To increase access to urgent care centers

Accompanied a study order, see S2917

Similar To

S806

Relative to patient centered access to behavioral health services in accountable care organizations

Accompanied a study order, see S2917

Similar To

S821

Ensuring students' access to academic transcripts

Accompanied a new draft, see S2746

Similar To

S823

Providing access to higher education for high school graduates in the Commonwealth

Accompanied a study order, see S2714

Similar To

S826

Expanding access to higher education tuition and fee waivers for adopted foster children

Accompanied a study order, see S2714

Similar To

S844

To require disclosure of conflicts of interests in academic institutions

Accompanied a study order, see S2714

Similar To

S848

To establish the Bridge the Gap Scholarship to universalize access to community colleges

Accompanied a new draft, see S2812

Similar To

S849

Relative to advance placement examinations

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

Similar To

Bill > S825

MA S825

summary

Introduced Session

Bill Summary

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Sponsors (5)

Last Action

Official Document

bill text

bill summary

bill summary

bill summary