House Bill 1254

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS (JROTC) PROMISE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE LAST DOLLAR SCHOLARSHIPS TO MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE CREDIT OF JROTC CURRICULUM DURING HIGH SCHOOL; TO PRESCRIBE INITIAL AND RENEWAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS; TO REQUIRE THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 37-106-85, Mississippi Code of 1972:

37-106-85. (1) There is established the Mississippi Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) Promise Grant Program, the purpose of which is to incentivize high school students to participate in JROTC or National Defense Cadet Corps and to pursue a postsecondary education at a community or junior college in the state.

(2) For purposes of this section, the following words and phrases have the meanings ascribed in this subsection unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(a) "Gift aid" means scholarships or grants, or a combination of both, from any private, state or federal source which do not require repayment, including funds provided through the federal Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, compiled generally in Title 42 U.S.C., and other similar programs. Student loans and work-study awards are not considered gift aid.

(b) "Institution of higher education" means a public community or junior college in Mississippi or a regionally accredited, nonprofit two-year college that is located in the state and approved by the board.

(c) "Tuition" means the semester or trimester or term charges and all mandatory fees imposed by an institution of higher education as a condition of enrollment by a student. For a two-year nonpublic institution of higher education, the tuition payments may not exceed the average charges and fees required by all two-year public institutions of higher education in Mississippi.

(3) Under the Mississippi JROTC Promise Grant Program, subject to the availability of funds, the state shall pay the tuition of a qualified student, less an amount equal to all other gift aid, who enrolls at an institution of higher education to pursue a certificate or higher education degree. An applicant for a grant under the program must meet all of the following qualifications:

(a) Resident of the State of Mississippi. For the purpose of receiving assistance under this section, resident status must be determined in the manner established under Sections 37-103-1 through 37-103-29, with the exception of Section 37-103-17;

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

(c) Successful completion of high school course work, as certified by the high school counselor or other school official, 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;

(d) Successful completion of at least one (1) unit of credit from an accredited Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps or National Defense Cadet Corps program;

(e) Duly registered as an elector under Section 23-15-33 at the time of application and meeting all other qualifications of an elector prescribed in Section 23-15-11; and

(f) Have no criminal record, except for misdemeanor traffic violations.

(4) To maintain continued payment of tuition under the program, once enrolled in an institution of higher education, a student must:

(a) Maintain status as a resident of the State of Mississippi;

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

(c) Maintain continuous enrollment for not less than two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters in each successive academic year, unless granted a waiver by the board due to medical or personal leave of absence, as approved by the institution of higher education;

(d) Have not yet earned a certificate, diploma or associate degree;

(e) Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of the first academic year and maintain such a cumulative grade point average, as determined at the end of each academic year; and

(f) Continue to not have a criminal record, except for misdemeanor traffic violations.

(5) Except for a student granted a waiver by the board, as authorized under subsection (4)(c) of this section, a student may not receive a Mississippi JROTC Promise Grant for more than four (4) total semesters or six (6) total trimesters.

(6) The Mississippi JROTC Promise Grant Program must be administered by the board. The board shall promulgate rules for all matters necessary for the implementation of this section, which must include, at a minimum:

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

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

(c) A procedure for granting a waiver of the initial qualification requirement prescribed under subsection (3)(c) 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; however, a waiver may not be granted for a student who did not successfully complete at least one (1) unit of credit from an accredited Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps or National Defense Cadet Corps Program.

(7) Before being eligible to receive assistance under the Mississippi JROTC Promise Grant Program, a student must apply for a federal grant. A student may not receive a JROTC Promise Grant that, when combined with all other gift aid available to the student, exceeds the cost of tuition. A grant received by a student under the program must be credited first to the student's tuition.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.