Bill Text: MS SB2368 | 2026 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Higher Education Legislative Plan Grant Program; amend.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2026-03-19 - Approved by Governor [SB2368 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2026-SB2368-Enrolled.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Universities and Colleges

By: Senator(s) Boyd, Brumfield, Butler

Senate Bill 2368

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT STUDENTS COMPLETE THE COLLEGE PREPARATORY CURRICULUM APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE TO MAKE AWARDS TO STUDENTS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED HEREIN; TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE BOARD PROVIDE FOR A PROCEDURE FOR WAIVER THROUGH THE 1996-1997 ACADEMIC YEAR; TO STIPULATE THAT APPLICANTS WHOSE FAMILIES HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME EQUAL TO $42,500.00 SHALL BE FOUND TO BE IN FINANCIAL NEED; TO REQUIRE THAT STUDENTS BE DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR A FEDERAL PELL GRANT PRIOR TO RECEIVING STATE FUNDS UNDER THIS SECTION; TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-39, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "MISSISSIPPI LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER"; 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 students who enroll at any 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

          ( * * *fe)  Be in financial need.

     (4)  Subject to the availability of funds, the state may pay the tuition of students who enroll at any 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 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.

     (5)  To maintain continued state payment of tuition, 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.

     (6)  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.

     (7)  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 or equal to Forty-two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($42,500.00); or

          (b)  The family has an annual adjusted gross income of less than or equal to 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.

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

     SECTION 2.  Section 37-106-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     37-106-39.  (1)  There is established the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Scholarship.

     (2)  Except as provided in this section, if any Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter shall suffer or has suffered fatal injuries or wounds or become permanently and totally disabled as a result of injuries or wounds which occurred in the performance of the official and appointed duties of his or her office, his or her spouse, child or children shall be entitled to an eight-semester scholarship without cost, exclusive of books, food, school supplies, materials and dues or fees for extracurricular activities, at any state-supported college or university of his or her choice within this state.

          (a)  No child shall be entitled to receive benefits during any semester or quarter when said child has reached the age of twenty-three (23) years on the first day of said semester or quarter.  However, any child who has begun the process of acquiring college credits under the provisions of this section prior to attaining the age of twenty-three (23) years shall be entitled to the full eight-semester scholarship if his or her college instruction was interrupted for any reason.

          (b)  Scholarship benefits shall not accrue hereunder to any person if the wounds or injuries suffered by any law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter are self-inflicted or if his death is self-induced.

     (3)  Eligibility for renewal of the scholarship shall be evaluated each academic year at the end of each semester or term.  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; and

          (b)  Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of each academic year.

     (4)  For the purposes of this section, these words and phrases shall be defined as follows:

          (a)  "Mississippi law enforcement officers" shall be defined as follows:

              (i) * * *  "State highway patrolmen" means all law enforcement officers, regardless of department or bureau, of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol.  Any law enforcement officer who is certified and in good standing with the Board on Law Enforcement Standards and Training;

 * * *   (ii)  "Municipal police officers" means all law enforcement officers of any municipality who are regular duty personnel on full‑time status, auxiliary or reserve officers, or those serving on a temporary or part‑time status.

   (iii)  "Sheriffs" and "deputy sheriffs" means all law enforcement officers of full‑time duty status on a regular basis serving the sheriff's department of any county, deputy sheriffs who are engaged in administrative or civil duty, auxiliary or reserve deputies, or deputy sheriffs serving in a temporary capacity or part‑time basis.

              ( * * *ivii)  "Constables" means all duly elected constables of any beat of any county within the state while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the criminal laws of the county and state * * *.;

 * * *   (v)  "Conservation officers" means all duly appointed game wardens employed by the State of Mississippi on a full‑time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the game laws of the state.

   (vi)  "Alcoholic Beverage Control Division agents and inspectors" means all duly appointed agents and investigators of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the Mississippi Department of Revenue on a full‑time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties concerning the alcoholic beverage control laws of the state.

              ( * * *viiiii)  Members of the National Guard serving as peace officers when ordered to state emergency duty under authority vested in the Governor by the Constitution and laws of the state * * *.; and

 * * *   (viii)  "Tax commission scales enforcement officers" means all duly appointed scales enforcement officers of the Mississippi Department of Revenue on a full‑time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties.

   (ix)  Duly appointed agents of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

              ( * * *xiv)  Correctional * * *, probation and parole officers employed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

          (b)  "Mississippi full-time firefighters" shall be defined as all firefighters employed by any subdivision of the State of Mississippi on a full-time duty status while actually engaged in the performance of their duties, and volunteer firefighters shall be defined as any volunteer firefighter registered with the State of Mississippi or a political subdivision thereof on a volunteer firefighting status while actually engaged in the performance of firefighting duties.

          (c)  "Child" or "children" means natural children, adopted children or stepchildren.

          (d)  "Spouse" means a person who was, at the time of the death of the decedent, legally married to a Mississippi law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter, or volunteer firefighter, or in the case of a law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter who suffered fatal injuries or wounds, prior to or after March 13, 1990, who has not remarried.

     (5)  (a)  Any law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter claiming permanent and total disability shall be qualified or disqualified for a claim under this section based on examination and review of the following four (4) documents:

              (i)  A letter from the officer's or firefighter's former supervisor or employer stating whether the officer or firefighter is disabled as a result of injuries or wounds that occurred in the performance of the official duties of his office;

              (ii)  A statement from the officer's or firefighter's physician stating whether the officer or firefighter is disabled and the reason for that disability;

              (iii)  Verification from the Public Employees' Retirement System; and

              (iv)  Verification from the Social Security Administration.

          (b)  If the law enforcement officer, full-time firefighter or volunteer firefighter suffered fatal injuries or wounds, a claim under this section shall be based on examination and review of the following two (2) documents:

              (i)  A letter from the officer's or firefighter's former supervisor or employer stating whether he suffered fatal injuries in the performance of the official duties of his office; and

              (ii)  A death certificate.

     (6)  Any applicant qualified and desiring a scholarship under the provisions of this section shall apply in writing to the board.  The board shall make inquiries into each application and shall make the investigation as it deems proper to establish and validate all claims before a scholarship is granted.

     SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

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