MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2023 Regular Session

To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations

By: Representative Scoggin

House Bill 771

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE PROVISIONS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE PLAN (HELP) GRANT TO PRESCRIBE AWARD MINIMUMS BASED ON CLASSIFICATION AND ENROLLMENT STATUS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE PROVISIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RESIDENT TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF STRENGTHENING MISSISSIPPI'S WORKFORCE PIPELINE; TO PROVIDE MORE MISSISSIPPIANS ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE EDUCATION PATHWAYS FOR IN-DEMAND CAREERS; TO RENAME THE PROGRAM AS THE "MTAG WORKS GRANT PROGRAM"; TO ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR RECIPIENTS TO QUALIFY FOR GRANT AWARDS; TO PROVIDE FOR BONUSES FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT LEAD TO EMPLOYMENT IN HIGH-NEED OR HIGH-DEMAND FIELD; TO PROVIDE THE MINIMUM STUDENT ENROLLMENT TO BE USED IN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR FULL TUITION FOR FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 37-106-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-106-75.  (1)  The Legislature hereby establishes the Higher Education Legislative Plan Grant Program.

     (2)  For purposes of this section:

          (a)  "Institution of higher education" shall mean any state institution of higher learning or public community or junior college, or any regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year college or university located in the State of Mississippi approved by the board.

          (b)  "Tuition" shall mean the semester or trimester or term charges and all required fees imposed by an institution of higher education as a condition of enrollment by all students. * * *However, for a two‑year nonpublic institution of higher education defined in paragraph (a), the tuition payments shall not exceed the average charges and fees required by all of the two‑year public institutions of higher education defined in paragraph (a), and for a four‑year nonpublic institution of higher education defined in paragraph (a), the tuition payments shall not exceed the average charges and fees required by all of the four‑year public institutions of higher education defined in paragraph (a).

     (3)  * * * Subject to the availability of funds, The state * * *may pay the tuition of shall make awards to students who enroll at any approved state institution of higher education to pursue an academic undergraduate degree who apply for the assistance under the program and who meet all of the following qualifications:

          (a)  Resident of the State of Mississippi.  Resident status for the purpose of receiving assistance under this chapter shall be determined in the same manner as resident status for tuition purposes in Sections 37-103-1 through 37-103-29, with the exception of Section 37-103-17;

          (b)  Graduate from high school within the two (2) years preceding the application with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale;

 * * *(c)  Successfully complete, as certified by the high school counselor or other school official, high school coursework which includes the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and required for admission into a state university;

          ( * * *dc)  Have a composite score on the American College Test of at least twenty (20) on the 1989 version or an equivalent concordant value on an enhanced version of such test;

          ( * * *ed)  Have no criminal record, except for misdemeanor traffic violations; and

 * * *(f)  Be in financial need.

     (4)  * * *Subject to the availability of funds, The state * * *may pay the tuition of shall make awards to students who enroll at any approved state institution of higher education to pursue an academic undergraduate degree or associate degree who apply for assistance under the program and who meet the qualifications established in * * *paragraphs (a), (e) and (f) of subsection (3) * * *but who fail to meet one (1) of the particular requirements established by paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of subsection (3) by an amount of ten percent (10%) or less.  The award may be applied to tuition, rooms, meals, books, materials and fees, and any other education-related expenses as long as the student's total award package does not exceed the student's cost of attendance as determined by the institution.

(5)  Award amounts for junior and senior students attending public four-year universities in the State of Mississippi shall be equal to tuition and required fees.  Award amounts for junior and senior students attending four-year regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi shall be equal to the average tuition and required fees charged by the state's public four-year universities.  Award amounts for freshmen and sophomore students attending public two-year or four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi with a total student enrollment of six thousand nine hundred six (6,906) or less students during the 2022-2023 academic year shall be equal to tuition and required fees.  Award amounts for freshmen and sophomore students attending public four-year universities or regionally accredited, state-approved nonprofit two-year or four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi with a total student enrollment population exceeding six thousand nine hundred six (6,906) students, shall be equal to the average tuition and required fees charged by the state's public two-year colleges.

     ( * * *56)  To maintain continued state payment of * * *tuition the grant, once enrolled in an institution of higher education, a student shall meet all of the following requirements:

          (a)  Make steady academic progress toward a degree, earning not less than the minimum number of hours of credit required for full-time standing in each academic period requiring such enrollment;

          (b)  Maintain continuous enrollment for not less than two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters in each successive academic year, unless granted an exception for cause by the board;

          (c)  Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of the first academic year and thereafter maintain such a cumulative grade point average as evaluated at the end of each academic year;

          (d)  Have no criminal record, except for misdemeanor traffic violations; and

          (e)  Be in financial need.

     ( * * *67)  The provisions of this section shall be administered by the board.  The board may promulgate rules for all matters necessary for the implementation of this section.  By rule, the board shall provide for:

          (a)  A mechanism for informing all students of the availability of the assistance provided under this section early enough in their schooling that a salutary motivational effect is possible; and

          (b)  Applications, forms, financial audit procedures, eligibility and other program audit procedures and other matters related to efficient operation * * *;.

 * * *  (c)  A procedure for waiver through the 1996‑1997 academic year of the program eligibility requirement for successful completion of a specified core curriculum upon proper documentation by the applicant that failure to comply with the requirement is due solely to the fact that the required course or courses were not available to the applicant at the school attended.

     ( * * *78)  An applicant shall be found to be in financial need if:

          (a)  The family has one (1) child under the age of twenty-one (21), and the annual adjusted gross income of the family is less than Forty-two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($42,500.00); or

          (b)  The family has an annual adjusted gross income of less than Forty-two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($42,500.00) plus Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for each additional child under the age of twenty-one (21).

     The annual adjusted gross income of the family shall be verified by completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the completion of the verification process if the applicant is selected for it.

     As used in this subsection, the term "family" for an unemancipated applicant means the applicant, the applicant's parents and other children under age twenty-one (21) of the applicant's parents.  The term "family" for an emancipated applicant means the applicant, an applicant's spouse, and any children under age twenty-one (21) of the applicant and spouse.

     ( * * *89)  No student shall receive a grant under this section in an amount greater than the tuition charged by the school.  The student must apply for a federal grant prior to receiving state funds.

     SECTION 2.  Section 37-106-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-106-29.  (1)  There is established the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program, which shall be called "MTAG Works" to signify the state's commitment to strengthening Mississippi's workforce pipeline by providing expanded access to postsecondary education for working adults and part-time students in addition to students matriculating from high school.  The grant shall be for college or university freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to be administered by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board established under Section 37-106-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, which shall set the dates and deadlines for applying for an award under this section.  The board shall establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

     (2)  The board shall approve grants to full-time freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior Mississippi residents who meet the general requirements for student eligibility as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

     (3)  * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grants shall be for Mississippi resident students from any Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) * * *exceeds the maximum allowed to qualify for full Pell Grant eligibility and campus‑based federal aid.  Those Mississippi students qualifying for less than the full Pell Grant award shall receive a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant in an amount not to exceed the maximum Pell Grant allowable for that individual student does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the state's family median income as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  The award * * *shall may be applied to tuition, rooms and meals, books, materials * * *and, fees and any other education-related expense, as long as the student's total award package does not exceed the student's cost of attendance as determined by the institution.  Award amounts for full-time students shall not be less than * * *not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for junior and senior students attending state institutions of higher learning in Mississippi or four-year regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit colleges and universities in Mississippi, and * * *Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for freshmen and sophomores attending state institutions of higher learning or public community or junior colleges in Mississippi, or regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year colleges in Mississippi * * *, which will be prorated per term, semester or quarter of the academic year for costs of attendance, calculated according to the formula specified in subsection (8) of this section.  Award amounts for part-time students will be reduced as determined by the board.

     (4)  The general requirements for initial eligibility of students for * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works Grants consist of the following:

          (a)  Member of a Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) * * * exceeds the maximum allowed to qualify for Pell Grant eligibility and campus‑based federal aid does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the state's median family income as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

          (b)  Acceptance for enrollment at any state institution of higher learning or public community or junior college located in Mississippi, or any regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year college or university located in Mississippi and approved by the board.

 * * *  (c)  Completion of a secondary education as follows:

   (i)  Graduation from high school verified by the institution before disbursement of award with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale after seven (7) semesters as certified by the high school counselor or other authorized school official on the application; or

   (ii)  Attendance at a home education program during grade levels 9 through 12; or

   (iii)  Satisfactory completion of the High School Equivalency Diploma; or

  (iv)  Successful completion of the International Baccalaureate Program.

  (d)  A minimum score of fifteen (15) on the ACT test except that any student entering a vocational or technical program of study, or who has satisfactorily completed the High School Equivalency Diploma Test and attends a community or junior college will not be required to have a test score under the ACT unless a student enrolls in courses of academic study.

          ( * * *ec)  Any student currently enrolled in any qualified institution shall have to only meet the same requirements as students who are applying for a renewal award.

 * * * (5)  By accepting a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant, the student is attesting to the accuracy, completeness and correctness of information provided to demonstrate the student's eligibility.  Falsification of such information shall result in the denial of any pending grant and revocation of any award currently held to the extent that no further payments shall be made.  Any student knowingly making false statements in order to receive a grant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), a prison sentence of up to one (1) year in the county jail, or both, and shall be required to return all Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grants wrongfully obtained.

     ( * * *65)  Eligibility for renewal of * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grants shall be evaluated at the end of * * *each semester, or term, of each academic year.  As a condition for renewal, a student shall:

          (a)  Make steady academic progress toward a certificate or degree, as outlined in the school Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and certified by the institution's registrar.

 * * * (b)  Maintain continuous enrollment for not less than two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters in each successive academic year, unless granted an exception for cause by the administering board; examples of cause may include student participation in a cooperative program, internship program or foreign study program.  If a student fails to maintain continuous enrollment, and is not granted an exception for cause by the administering board, the student is ineligible to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant during the following semester or trimester or term of the regular academic year.

          ( * * *cb)  Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of each * * *semester or trimester or term academic year.

     ( * * *76)  Each student, each year, must complete * * *a the Free Application for Federal Student Aid * * *form or a Statement of Certification as designed by the administering board to determine his or her eligibility for a * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grant.

     ( * * *87)  (a)  The amount of the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grant awarded to any one (1) full-time student shall be determined by the board, but shall not be less than the * * *, up to the maximum amount provided in subsection (3) of this section * * *, shall be the difference of the student's cost of attendance at his accredited college of choice and the amount of federal aid such student may receive, not to supplant but to supplement the amount of any federal aid awarded to the student.  Cost of attendance is the tuition and fees of the applicable institution plus an allowance for room and meals and books and materials.  The amount of the MTAG Works grant awarded to any one (1) student enrolled less than full-time shall be a reduced amount determined by the board.

(b)  A bonus shall be paid to any MTAG Works recipient who is enrolled as a full-time student in an education program that leads to employment in a high-need or high-demand field as determined by the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development (Accelerate Mississippi).  A reduced bonus amount determined by the board shall be paid to any MTAG Works recipient who is enrolled less than full-time in an approved education program that led to employment in a high-need or high-demand field.

          ( * * *bc)  Payment of the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grant shall be made payable to the recipient and the educational institution and * * *mailed delivered directly to the institution * * *, to be applied first to tuition.

(8)  (a)  By accepting a MTAG Works grant, the student is attesting that the information provided demonstrates that the student's eligibility is accurate, complete and correct. Falsification of such information shall result in the denial of any pending grant and revocation of any award currently held to the extent that no further payments shall be made by the board on the student's behalf.  Any student knowingly making false statements in order to receive a grant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or imprisonment up to one (1) year in the county jail, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(b)  In addition to any such fine or imprisonment which may be imposed, the court shall order that restitution be made to the board.  The measure for restitution in money shall be the current replacement value of the actual monetary benefit received under the MTAG Works Grant Program plus any interest accrued thereon.

     (9)  In order for an institution to remain eligible for its students to participate in the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works Grant Program, the institution shall comply with the following requirements:

          (a)  A complete and accurate roster of the eligibility status of each awarded student shall be made to the board for each term, semester or quarter of the academic year the student receives a * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grant.

          (b)  The institution is required to make refunds to the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works Grant Fund for any funds for which the student is ineligible according to the rules established by the board * * *which have not been disbursed to the recipient, in the case of students who have received a grant but who terminate enrollment during the academic term, semester or quarter of the academic year if an institution's refund policies permit a student to receive a refund in such instance.  The recipient shall be responsible for the refund of any funds which have been disbursed by the institution in such instance.

          (c)  * * *If a The award for an eligible student * * *drops below enrolled for less than full-time status, as defined by the board, will be prorated based on the student's level of enrollment * * * but does not terminate all enrollment during the term, semester or quarter of the academic year no refund will be required for that term.  However, that student is ineligible to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant during the following term, semester or quarter of the regular academic year.

          (d)  The board may conduct its own annual audits of any institution participating in the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works Grant Program.  The board may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility to receive future monies under the program if it finds that the institution has not complied with the provisions of this section.  In determining a student's initial eligibility, the number of prior semesters enrolled will not be counted against the student.

     (10)  No student may receive a * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works grant for more than the equivalent semesters or quarters required to complete one (1) baccalaureate degree or one (1) certificate or associate degree program per institution.

     (11)  No student receiving * * *a Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant as provided in Section 37‑106‑31 another state grant for undergraduate education shall be eligible to receive the * * *Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance MTAG Works Grant pursuant to this section * * * unless he is eligible for such award after the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant has been considered by the board when conducting an assessment of the financial resources available to the student.  In no case shall any student receive any combination of student financial aid that would exceed the cost of attendance, as defined in subsection (8)(a).

     For purposes of this section, certificated shall mean, but not be limited to, all postsecondary vocational programs in eligible institutions approved by the board.

SECTION 3.  The board shall determine the annual award and bonus amounts.  It is the intention of the Legislature that award amounts for full-time junior and senior students equal approximately twenty percent (20%) to twenty-five percent (25%) of the average tuition of the state's public four-year universities and bonus amounts equal approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the full-time award.  Award amounts for full-time freshmen and sophomore students shall be half of the amount determined by the board to be awarded for juniors and seniors.  If funds are insufficient to make full awards to all eligible students, the board shall first withhold or restrict bonuses.  The board shall then prorate awards among all eligible students.

SECTION 4.  Initial awards under the MTAG Works Grant Program shall be made first available during the 2024-2025 academic year.

SECTION 5.  Any student who previously received a Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant, but does not qualify for a MTAG Works Grant, shall continue to receive the Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant through the 2026-2027 academic year according to the rules and regulations established by the board.

     SECTION 6.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2023.

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