Bill Text: MS HB424 | 2014 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Mississippi Promise Community College Tuition Gap Pilot Program; create.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2014-03-04 - Died In Committee [HB424 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2014-HB424-Engrossed.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2014 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations
By: Representatives Turner, Mettetal, Arnold, Miles, Reynolds, Lane
House Bill 424
(As Passed the House)
AN ACT TO CREATE THE 2014 "MISSISSIPPI PROMISE" COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUITION GAP PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO HELP ELIGIBLE STUDENTS OF PUBLIC COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES PAY THE COST OF TUITION NOT COVERED BY FEDERAL, STATE, INSTITUTIONAL AND PRIVATE AID; TO PROVIDE THAT ELIGIBLE SEMESTERS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM ARE FALL 2014, SPRING 2015, FALL 2015 AND SPRING 2016; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known as the 'Jerry Turner Mississippi Promise Act of 2014'.
(2) The Legislature recognizes the importance of higher education for all Mississippians, and the benefit that an educated citizenry is to the entire state. Furthermore, the Legislature and the fifteen (15) public community and junior colleges are concerned with the cost of higher education, and the growing financial burden of both out-of-pocket expenses and loans to be repaid, that are being placed on current and future students. Therefore, the boards of trustees at Mississippi's fifteen (15) public community and junior colleges shall implement the 2014 "Mississippi Promise" Community College Tuition Gap Pilot Program (the program) for the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. The program shall be a two-year pilot program for first-time, full-time students who enroll in academic or career and technical education programs during the fall 2014 semester and a one-year pilot program for first-time, full-time students who enroll in academic or career and technical education programs during the fall 2015 semester. The program shall provide funds to help eligible students pay the cost of tuition that is not covered by federal, state, institutional and private aid. Eligible semesters under the program shall only be the fall 2014, spring 2015, fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters under the authority of this act.
(3) In order to participate in the program, a student must be a legal resident of the State of Mississippi as provided under Section 37-103-7 or Section 37-103-15, if legally married; be admitted to a public community or junior college; and apply for and accept all offers for all available federal, state, institutional and private aid.
(4) Participants in the program must be enrolled at the community or junior college within twelve (12) months immediately following high school graduation from an accredited public, private or home school in the State of Mississippi, or within twelve (12) months of completion of any military service; be a first-time, full-time college student at the time of admission; and be enrolled in and pass a minimum of fifteen (15) credit hours each semester in any credit-bearing degree or certificate program offered at one (1) of the fifteen (15) public community or junior colleges.
(5) Once admitted into the program, participating students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average each semester in a credit-bearing degree or certificate program offered at the public community and junior colleges and must maintain enrollment in a minimum of fifteen (15) credit hours each semester of participation. The program is nontransferrable; thus, a student who transfers to another public community or junior college shall not be eligible for the program at the transfer institution.
(6) Participants of the program shall only be eligible for the program for the fall 2014, spring 2015, fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. By July 1, 2015, the Mississippi Community College Board shall conduct an evaluation of the program based upon the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters and report to the Legislature on the number of participants of the program, the cost associated with the program, academic programs in which participants enrolled and progress made by participants toward a degree or certificate.
(7) It shall be the responsibility of each community and junior college to establish an application, including specific submission timeframes, for the program. It is the intention of the Legislature that no general funds authorized to be expended for this purpose shall be used to replace federal funds, other state funds, local government funds, institutional funds and/or private aid, which are being used to assist students with the cost of tuition authorized under the provisions of this act and which are withdrawn and no longer available.
(8) The program shall be contingent upon funds appropriated by the Legislature in an amount sufficient to cover all eligible participants. Funds appropriated for the program shall be in addition to the usual annual appropriation received by the community and junior colleges. The Mississippi Community College Board shall determine for each fall and spring semester the state's actual share of the cost of the program for each college. If legislative funding is not sufficient to meet the needs of all eligible students, the Mississippi Community College Board shall reduce the allocation of funds to each college in proportion to the state's actual share of the cost of the program for each college, in order to determine the unfunded tuition cost at each college and to calculate the reduced amount to allocate and distribute to each college. Any unfunded tuition shall be the responsibility of the student. Any funds appropriated for this act which are not expended during the fiscal year for which they were appropriated shall not lapse into the State General Fund and shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the succeeding fiscal year. However, if this section is repealed from and after July 1, 2016, any funds remaining for the purposes of this section on June 30, 2016, shall lapse into the State General Fund.
(9) Public and private entities that provide financial contributions to existing community or junior college tuition guarantee programs may and are encouraged to continue to do so.
(10) In accordance with Section 37-103-25, each community and junior college shall solely be responsible for setting tuition and fees to be paid by students.
(11) Students who participate in the program shall be eligible for community and junior college reimbursement purposes of state appropriations, provided they meet established admission and attendance requirements.
(12) This section shall stand repealed from and after July 1, 2016.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.
