Bill Text: MS SB2720 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Mississippi Act WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Scholarship Program; create.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-03-05 - Died In Committee [SB2720 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2024-SB2720-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Barrett
Senate Bill 2720
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI ACT WORKKEYS NATIONAL CAREER READINESS CERTIFICATE (NCRC) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS IN VARYING AMOUNTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EARNING PLATINUM, GOLD AND SILVER WORKKEYS CERTIFICATES; TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; TO PRESCRIBE INITIAL ELIGIBILITY AND RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS; TO AUTHORIZE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDENTS; TO PROHIBIT STUDENTS FROM RECEIVING COMBINED FINANCIAL AID IN AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN THE TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) There is established the Mississippi ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Scholarship Program.
(2) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, an eligible Mississippi resident student graduating from a high school in the state who has earned one (1) of the following ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) is eligible for the corresponding scholarship to a state community or junior college:
(a) Platinum WorkKeys NCRC - one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of tuition, room and meals, books, materials and equipment required by the program in which the student enrolls, and fees.
(b) Gold WorkKeys NCRC - ninety percent (90%) of the cost of tuition, room and meals, books, materials and equipment required by the program in which the student enrolls, and fees.
(c) Silver WorkKeys NCRC plus a qualifying industry certification earned through a career and technical education program - eighty percent (80%) of the cost of tuition, room and meals, books, materials and equipment required by the program in which the student enrolls, and fees.
(3) The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board shall administer the scholarship program created under this section. The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the administration of the program and shall set the dates and deadlines for applying for a scholarship. The board shall approve scholarships for qualified full-time and part-time students who enroll in an associate degree or certificate program. A student may not receive a WorkKeys NCRC Scholarship for more than the number of semesters required for a full-time student to complete one (1) associate degree or certificate program or for such period of time determined by the board to be equivalent for a part-time student.
(4) In order to be eligible for a WorkKeys NCRC Scholarship, a student must meet the following criteria:
(a) Resident of Mississippi;
(b) Acceptance at any state community or junior college located in Mississippi; and
(c) Graduation from a Mississippi high school with a Platinum or Gold WorkKeys NCRC or a Silver WorkKeys NCRC plus a qualifying industry certification earned through a career and technical education program, as verified by the high school counselor or other authorized school official.
(5) Eligibility for renewal of a WorkKeys NCRC Scholarship must be evaluated at the end of each semester or term of each academic year. As a condition for renewal, a student must:
(a) Make steady academic progress toward an associate degree or certificate, as certified by the college's registrar;
(b) Maintain continuous enrollment, unless granted an exception for cause by the board. If a student fails to maintain continuous enrollment and is not granted an exception for cause, the student is ineligible to receive the scholarship during the following semester or term of the academic year; and
(c) Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50, as calculated on a 4.0 scale at the end of each semester or term.
(6) Payment of a WorkKeys NCRC Scholarship must be made to the recipient and the community or junior college and mailed directly to the institution. If a student is the holder of a Gold or Silver WorkKeys NCRC, the payment must be applied first to tuition. A student may not receive combined student financial aid during any semester or term which exceeds the total cost of attendance, as described in subsection (1), and a student's WorkKeys NCRC Scholarship may be reduced to the extent that is determined by the board to be necessary to prevent the student from receiving greater financial aid than the total cost of attendance.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.
