House Bill 209

AN ACT TO PERMIT SENIOR CITIZENS WITH INCOMES BELOW $15,000.00 PER YEAR TO REGISTER AND ATTEND A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING TUITION-FREE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, the term "senior citizen" means a person who is age sixty-five (65) or older.

(2) A senior citizen shall be permitted, under regulations as may be prescribed by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning:

(a) To register for and enroll in courses as a full-time or part-time student for academic credit in any state institution of higher learning in this state;

(b) To register for and audit courses offered for academic credit in any state institution of higher learning in this state; and

(c) To register for and enroll in courses not offered for academic credit in any state institution of higher learning in this state.

(3) In order to be eligible under this section, a senior citizen must have had a taxable individual income not exceeding Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for Mississippi income tax purposes for the year preceding the year in which enrollment is sought.

(4) Senior citizens registering under the provisions of this section shall pay no tuition or fees except fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials, such as laboratory fees, but shall be subject to the admission requirements of the institution and a determination by the institution of its ability to offer the course or courses for which the senior citizen registers. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning shall establish procedures to ensure that tuition-paying students are accommodated in courses before senior citizens registering under the provisions of this section are enrolled. However, the state institutions of higher learning may make individual exceptions to these procedures when the senior citizen has completed seventy-five percent (75%) of the requirements for a degree.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004.