By Bob Katzen

This bill would guarantee free public higher education as a right for all students who have attended a high school in Massachusetts for three or more years and graduated from a Bay State high school.

The measure creates a grant program to cover tuition and mandatory fees for Massachusetts residents attending a state public university. For students who meet certain low-income eligibility, the legislation gives additional aid in grants to cover the additional costs of attending the school including room and board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses.

“This bill matters because state funding for public higher education in Massachusetts has been cut drastically in the past 20 years resulting in significant tuition and fee increases and one of the fastest-growing student debt burdens in the nation,” said sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough).