Bill > S2097

This bill proposes changes to Chapter 75 of the General Laws, specifically Section 36D, concerning "learning contracts" for students admitted to the University of Massachusetts Medical School starting in the academic year 2015. The key provision is that these learning contracts will require students to perform at least four years of "payback service" within Massachusetts in areas like primary care, public or community service, or underserved areas, as determined by health officials and a learning contract committee. Importantly, the bill clarifies that the Commonwealth, not the medical school, will cover the costs associated with these learning contracts. If a student fails to complete their required payback service, they will have to repay the difference between the tuition they paid and what they would have otherwise been charged, plus 8% annual interest, with these repayments going back to the Commonwealth, provided the Commonwealth indeed covered the initial costs. Payback service or tuition repayment will not be required until after any internship and residency requirements are finished, and interest will start accruing after internship completion. The bill also mandates that the Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts will submit an annual report to the legislative committees on ways and means detailing student participation, payback areas, the impact on underserved areas, repayment numbers, and the potential tuition revenue lost by the medical school due to these contracts.