Bill > H4561

This bill mandates that the Executive Office of Education, in collaboration with state university and community college leadership, establish guidelines for the inclusive concurrent enrollment grant program by March 15, 2017. Inclusive concurrent enrollment allows eligible students, often those with disabilities, to take college courses while still in high school. The bill also requires the Executive Office of Education to submit a comprehensive report by December 15, 2017, to various legislative committees detailing student enrollment, program-supported employment positions and their salaries, courses taken, innovative strategies used, student employment outcomes, program funding, and recommendations for a statewide expansion. Furthermore, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, working with the Executive Office of Education and relevant agencies, must report by September 1, 2017, on existing eligibility requirements for services that could support higher education opportunities for individuals over 21, including the use of ABLE accounts, scholarship eligibility, interagency agreements to maximize federal funding like Medicaid, and the availability of federal financial aid for this age group.