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S 921

Requires individuals arrested in connection with a felony to submit a DNA sample

2025 Regular Session Introduced by George Borrello and 2 co-sponsors

Requires FAFSA completion before high school graduation (with opt-outs) to increase aid access, plus a state FAFSA Trust Fund to support outreach and implementation.

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Bill Summary · S 921

Summary — S.921 (Senate No. 921): “An Act to facilitate student financial assistance” (Massachusetts)

Status & procedural notes
- Filed in the Massachusetts Senate (Senate Docket No. 1680 / Senate No. 921) on 1/16/2025; presented by Sen. Joanne M. Comerford with additional petitioners named in the text.
- Hearing scheduled 05/05/2025; a new draft (S2533) accompanied this measure on 06/23/2025.
- (Available legislative action records contain some inconsistent committee references; primary text and sponsors identify this as a Massachusetts higher-education / K–12 implementation bill.)

Purpose
- To increase access to federal and state postsecondary financial aid by making FAFSA completion a default step before high school graduation and to create a dedicated state “FAFSA Trust Fund” to support districts, students, families, and community partners in FAFSA outreach and completion.

Key provisions
1. FAFSA completion requirement (amendment to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 69, §1D)
- Policy declared: the Commonwealth will “maximize federal and state postsecondary financial aid options” by encouraging and requiring graduating students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before high school graduation.
- Exemptions: a student need not submit a FAFSA if one of the following signed forms is filed:
- Parent/guardian signs a form authorizing the student to decline FAFSA submission;
- Student age 18+ or legally emancipated signs the form themself;
- School district files a district form on behalf of a student under 18 (signed by the principal) when the student is otherwise graduation-eligible and the school made a “good faith effort” (at least 3 personalized contacts in the family’s preferred language) to assist the family.
- Forms: DESE must develop two standardized forms (parent/student opt-out form and school-filed form). Forms must use accessible language, be translated into families’ preferred languages, and must not require citizenship-status information.
- District duties: Each district must ensure compliance (student submits FAFSA or qualifies for an exemption) prior to graduation and provide necessary supports to students/families.

  1. Data collection and guidance

    • The Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) must issue guidance on implementation, required communications, and reporting.
    • Annual district reporting to DESE (by September 30): number of students who completed/submitted FAFSA and counts of exemptions, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, city/town of residence and other categories DESE may determine.

  2. FAFSA Trust Fund (established Oct 1, 2025)

    • A separate state fund administered by the DESE Commissioner to receive appropriations, interest, gifts/grants/donations and to be used — without further appropriation — to support implementation (training, workshops, collaboration with community organizations), with a focus on underserved districts.
    • Private donations must be reviewed and approved to ensure no restrictive or detrimental conditions; the review must be publicly available.
    • Annual fund activity report due Oct 1 to legislative committees (sources, distributions, grants, projections). Money in the fund does not revert to the General Fund.

Effective dates
- Section 2 (FAFSA Trust Fund): takes effect October 1, 2025.
- Section 1 (FAFSA completion requirement and reporting): takes effect October 1, 2026.

Who is affected
- High school students and their parents/guardians (FAFSA becomes default unless opted out or district-filed exemption applies).
- School districts and high school administrators (new administrative, outreach, reporting responsibilities).
- DESE (policy guidance, fund administration, reporting, review of private funds).
- Community organizations that may receive grants or partner on outreach.

Potential impacts (expected and practical considerations)
- Potential benefits: increased FAFSA completion rates, broader access to federal/state aid, reduced unmet financial need for postsecondary enrollment—especially in underserved communities.
- Administrative costs and burdens: districts will need staffing, translation/communication resources, and record-keeping to meet outreach and reporting requirements.
- Privacy and civil‑rights protections: the bill prohibits requiring citizenship status on opt-out forms and mandates public review of private funding conditions; nonetheless districts will need to manage sensitive student data and ensure Non-discrimination/translations.

Notes
- The bill text and some procedural metadata appear to mix records; the summary above relies on the bill text filed in the Massachusetts Senate (Senate No. 921). For committee status, sponsorship, or companion federal measures, consult the official Massachusetts legislative tracking site or clerk’s records for the most current procedural history.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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