House Bill 245

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTANCE LEARNING FOR SINGLE, WORKING PARENTS SCHOLARSHIP GRANT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD SHALL ADMINISTER THE GRANT; TO PROVIDE THE CRITERIA FOR RECEIVING THE GRANT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. There is created the Mississippi Distance Learning for Single, Working Parents Scholarship Grant, to be administered by the Mississippi Community College Board. The grant shall be available to single, working parents to use for distance learning tuition and fees at any of the public community or junior colleges. The board shall set the dates that will serve as the deadlines for applying for an award under this section and award grants to only Mississippi students who qualify. The total award to a student shall be up to Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00) for tuition and fees. Payment of the Mississippi Community College Distance Learning for Single, Working Parents Scholarship Grant shall be made payable to the recipient and the college and mailed directly to the college, to be applied first to tuition. The board may conduct its own annual audits of any college participating in the Mississippi Community College Distance Learning for Single, Working Parents Scholarship Grant. The board may suspend or revoke a college's eligibility to receive future monies under the program if it finds that the college has not complied with the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2016.