For a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to Massachusetts students enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education in any approved public or independent college, university, school of nursing or any other approved institution furnishing a program of higher education; provided, that funds from this item may be expended on the administration of said scholarship program; provided further, that the commissioner of higher education, in coordination with the Massachusetts state scholarship office, shall follow adopted guidelines governing the eligibility for and the awarding of financial assistance; provided further, that the priority application deadline for the MASSGrant program shall be August 1, 2023; provided further, that funds from this item shall be made available for the MASSGrant or MASSGrant Plus programs in an amount not less than the amount made available in fiscal year 2023; provided further, that not less than $22,000,000 shall be made available for the Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program (GMSGP); provided further, that not less than $5,000,000 shall be made available for early educator scholarships; provided further, that funds from this item shall be made available for paraprofessional grants in amounts not less than the amounts made available in fiscal year 2023; provided further, that not less than $430,000 shall be made available for One Family, Inc.; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be made available for the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Judicial Scholarship program, administered by the Massachusetts Bar Foundation to provide stipends for judicial internships to current law students with demonstrated financial need; and provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended for financial assistance to students enrolled in independent, nonprofit vocational-technical institutions of higher education in the commonwealth that are minority-serving institutions as defined by the United States Department of Education and whose majority of students are eligible for federal Pell grants, prior appropriation continued
