House Bill 541

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A FULL SCHOLARSHIP, KNOWN AS THE AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP, FOR OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA PRESCRIBED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING; TO PROVIDE THAT ATHLETES HAVING LESS THAN A FULL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS SCHOLARSHIP; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. There shall be a full scholarship, known as the Ambassador Scholarship, which shall be awarded to students who are not residents of Mississippi based on criteria prescribed by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, which shall include, without limitation, minimum ACT score, minimum SAT score and minimum high school GPA. The scholarship is for four (4) years as long as the student takes a full course load each semester and maintains the minimum GPA for the institution where the student attends. Members of athletic teams of an institution who do not have an athletic scholarship or have less than a full athletic scholarship shall be eligible to receive this scholarship. The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the scholarship program established under this section.

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