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BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate on Friday approved a $58 billion budget bill that, amongst other things, features a plan without spending a dime community college and would allow the Massachusetts Lottery to supply a few of its products online.
The budget would allocate greater than $117 million to the free community college program across the state to cover students' tuition and charges.
There are greater than 90,000 students studying at Massachusetts' 15 community colleges, about 70% of whom attend school part-time, balancing work and family obligations.
To be eligible without spending a dime tuition, students must pursue a level at a public community college in Massachusetts and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a state corresponding to the FAFSA form.
In addition, students must attend school at the very least part-time, must not have a bachelor's degree, and should be a resident of Massachusetts.
More than half of the state's community college students are students of color. Less than 25% of community college students have an annual household income above $120,000.
The budget would also allow online sales of lotteries and lift the minimum age for purchasing online lottery products to 21. The budget would also include a ban on aggressive promoting to minors.
The goal is to create a brand new source of funding for the state's early childhood education and care initiatives. A portion of the brand new revenue from online lottery sales – an estimated $100 million in fiscal 12 months 2025 – will fund grants designed to offer long-term stability for high-quality, reasonably priced look after families.
Lottery authorities have long been pushing for expansion into the web market. There are online lotteries within the neighboring states of New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
“This budget is a vote of confidence in every Massachusetts resident who goes to school, raises a family, and works to make ends meet – and a strong plan to bring equity and opportunity to every region and every resident of our state,” Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano said in a written statement.
The budget includes $170 million for the state's universal school lunch program and greater than $42 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, which ensures a gentle supply of nutritious food and locally grown fresh produce to a statewide network of greater than 894 emergency food shelters.
The budget also proposes $1.3 billion in revenue from a 4% surtax on annual incomes over $1 million, which can be passed by a vote. The additional funds can be invested in improving the state's education and transportation sectors.
The budget allocates 59 percent of funding to education and 41 percent to transportation. It should be signed by Governor Maura Healey before it could go into effect.
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