Gov. Maura Healey signed a $55.9 billion budget Wednesday that provides eligible undocumented students in-state tuition rates at public universities and colleges and offers free meals for students at public and some private schools.

The budget Healey signed largely avoids conflict with proposals approved by the Democratic-led Legislature last month. It also represents the latest spending plan outside of the pandemic since 2001, when lawmakers sent the budget to the governor’s desk in November and it was signed at the start of December.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano said he was not surprised budget negotiations “went a little long” because of all the factors that were in play, including parallel conversations on tax relief and how to spend new surtax revenue.

“But I’m constantly surprised that everyone seems to have forgotten what was at stake here and what we were trying to accomplish,” the Quincy Democrat told reporters. “And to come up with a document that is this fair, and as transformative as this document is, I think is a real credit to the administration.”

At a press conference at the State House, Healey touted funding for local schools, a program that offers free community college to residents 25 and older, and the use of $1 billion in new revenues from a voter-approved surtax on incomes over $1 million.

“This budget makes our state more affordable, competitive and equitable,” Healey said. “It will make a real and meaningful difference in the lives of people across Massachusetts, lowering their costs, expanding access to opportunity, improving the quality of their life.”

Any student who has attended school in Massachusetts for at least three years is eligible for in-state tuition at state schools like the University of Massachusetts Amherst under language included in the fiscal 2024 budget.

Senate President Karen Spilka said the program offers “tuition equity” to all students, regardless of where they come from.

“This will help build our workforce with students that are here, right here in Massachusetts now, and help these very same students build and reach their dreams,” she said.

In-state tuition for undocumented students brings them “one step closer to achieving the American dream,” said Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

“Expanding eligibility of in-state tuition rates to all residents will prove a huge benefit to the state, as the Commonwealth is currently grappling with declining college enrollment and a dwindling workforce,” Sweet said.

Universal school meals for students apply at any school in Massachusetts that participates in the National School Lunch Program. The fiscal 2024 budget includes $172 million to fund the program.

Healey returned eight policy sections with amendments, including a provision offering no-cost calls for inmates at state and county correctional facilities, which she proposed delaying the start date by five months..

The delay allows administration officials to “get things lined up,” Healey said.

“You know what was good, collective common sense from all involved that we needed a little bit more time to be able to get it done,” the governor said.

Healey vetoed one policy section that would have used $205 million in one-time funding to pay for universal school meals and grants that support early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational and workforce costs.

Healey cut $205 million in net spending to balance the budget in the absence of the one-time funds.

“We took this action because we felt like at this time, it was the right thing to do to not use one-time funding for programs that would have a longer shelf life,” Healey said, adding that cuts were made to programs that were “redundant or where there was otherwise funding available through the administration.”

Healey left intact the Legislature’s plan to spend $1 billion in new revenues from the “Millionaires Tax” or “Fair Share Amendment.”

Lawmakers set aside $524 million for education initiatives including $229 million to allow those 25 and older to obtain a degree or certificate for free through any community college. The rest of the surtax revenue, $477 million, is heading to transportation needs, including improving accessibility at MBTA stations.

Lawmakers are now clear of a major, yearly hurdle — crafting and passing a budget — and attention on Beacon Hill has turned to the status of a tax relief plan held up in private negotiations between a panel of six lawmakers.

With legislators on break until roughly the end of the month, Healey did not say whether she had given top Democrats a deadline by which she would like to see a tax relief compromise.

“Tax relief is something we want to accomplish for purposes of making life more affordable for residents, more competitive for our state,” Healey said. “There are a lot of good ideas already out there and on the table. And this is the work of government and policy making. So I know people will be hard at work in the days and weeks ahead.”