MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Jordan (18th)

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH AND PROVIDE FOR AN EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING; TO DEFINE ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS AND ELIGIBLE STUDENTS FOR THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT UNDER THE PROGRAM IS ENTITLED TO $1,000.00 IN STATE TUITION CREDITS AT A MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC OR PRIVATE 4-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH TUITION CREDITS UNDER THE PROGRAM ARE FINANCED UNDER THE MINIMUM EDUCATION PROGRAM AND TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONSIDER THE COSTS OF THE TUITION CREDIT PROGRAM IN ESTIMATING THE FUNDS NEEDED FOR THE MINIMUM EDUCATION PROGRAM; TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO ADOPT RULES TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The student financial assistance program authorized by this section is known as the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program.

(2) The Early High School Graduation Scholarship program is hereby created to increase efficiency in the Minimum Education program, or its successor, and to provide tuition assistance to an eligible person to enable that person to attend a Mississippi public or private four-year college or university. A portion of the savings to the Minimum Education program, or its successor, that occur as a result of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program shall be dedicated to state tuition credits provided by the program.

(3) To be eligible for the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program, a person shall:

(a) Have the written approval of at least one (1) of the person's parents or legal guardians;

(b) Have successfully completed the requirements for a public high school diploma in not more than thirty-six (36) consecutive months and graduated or be eligible for graduation from a Mississippi public high school;

(c) Have attended high school in this state only; and

(d) Be a Mississippi resident as defined by rule of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

(4) An eligible person under the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program is entitled to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) in state tuition credits at a Mississippi four-year public or private college or university. The use of a credit at a Mississippi private college or university is contingent on the private college or university's agreement to match the state tuition credit.

(5) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall provide a certificate for state tuition credits to an eligible person.

(6) On enrollment of an eligible person in an eligible college or university, the college or university shall apply to the person's tuition charges for the enrollment period an amount equal to the lesser of:

(a) The amount of the tuition credit available to the person; or

(b) The person's actual tuition.

A private college or university shall apply the state tuition credit and the matching credit required by subsection (4) in equal amounts.

(7) For each student using a state tuition credit under this section, the college or university shall report to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning:

(a) The student's name;

(b) The school district from which the student graduated from high school; and

(c) The amount of the state tuition credit applied.

(8) On receipt of a report from an eligible college or university under subsection (7), the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall distribute to the college or university the amount of the state tuition credit applied by the college or university. At least once each year the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall submit a report to the State Superintendent of Education that includes:

(a) The name of each student who used state tuition credit under this section during the period covered by the report;

(b) The school district from which each student graduated from high school; and

(c) The amount of the state tuition credit used by each student during the period covered by the report.

On receipt of a report from the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the State Superintendent of Education shall transfer to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, from funds appropriated for the Minimum Education, or its successor, an amount sufficient to reimburse the board of trustees for amounts disbursed in payment of state tuition credits during the period covered by the report.

(9) The Early High School Graduation Scholarship program is financed under the appropriation to the Minimum Education program or its successor public school financing program. The State Superintendent of Education shall reduce the total annual allotment of Minimum Education program payments made to a school district by an amount equal to the amount of state tuition credits under this section applied by eligible colleges or universities on behalf of eligible persons who graduated from the district that has not been used to compute a previous reduction under this section. The State Department of Education and the Legislative Budget Office shall consider the costs of the program in estimating the funds needed for Minimum Education program, or successor funding program, purposes.

(10) The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall adopt rules to administer this section. The board of trustees shall distribute copies of all rules adopted under this section to each eligible college or university, and to each school district.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.