HB 771 — HELP Grant and MTAG Programs; revise level of funding provided to eligible students.

Appropriations COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO.

771 (As Passed the House) AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE PROVISIONS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE PLAN (HELP) GRANT TO PRESCRIBE AWARD MINIMUMS BASED ON CLASSIFICATION AND ENROLLMENT STATUS;

TO PROVIDE THE MINIMUM STUDENT ENROLLMENT TO BE USED IN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR FULL TUITION FOR FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS;

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 1 (RF\EW) two-year or four-year college or university located in the State of Mississippi approved by the board.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 2(RF\EW) * * * (4) * * * The state * * * shall make awards to students who enroll at any approved 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 established in * * * subsection (3) * * *.

Award amounts for freshmen and sophomore students attending public two-year or four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi with a total student enrollment of six thousand nine hundred six (6,906) or less students during the 2022-2023 academic year shall be equal to tuition and required fees.

Award amounts for freshmen and sophomore students attending public four-year universities or regionally accredited, state-approved nonprofit two-year or four-year colleges and universities in the State of Mississippi,H. shall be equal to the average tuition and required fees charged by the state's public two-year colleges.

H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 3(RF\EW) (Mississippi *with *a *6)total Tostudent maintainenrollment continuedpopulation stateexceeding paymentsix ofthousand *nine *hundred *six the(6,906) grant,students, onceshall enrolledbe inequal anto institutionthe ofaverage highertuition education,and arequired studentfees shallcharged meetby allthe ofstate's thepublic followingtwo-year requirements:colleges.

( * * *6) To maintain continued state payment of * * * the grant, once enrolled in an institution of higher education, a student shall meet all of the following requirements:

(a)H. 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 H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 4(RF\EW) (b)(a) Applications,A forms,mechanism financialfor auditinforming procedures,all eligibilitystudents andof otherthe programavailability auditof proceduresthe andassistance otherprovided mattersunder relatedthis tosection efficientearly operationenough *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 * * *.

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'sH. 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.

H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 5(RF\EW) (applicant's *parents. * *9) No student shall receive a grant under this section in an amount greater than the tuition charged by the school.

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.

( * * *9) No student shall receive a grant under this section in an amount greater than the tuition charged by the school.

(2) The board shall approve grants to full-time freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior Mississippi residents who meet the generalH. requirements for student eligibility as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) * * * MTAG Works grants shall be for Mississippi resident students from any Mississippi family whose prior year H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 6(RF\EW) adjustedgeneral grossrequirements incomefor (AGI)student *eligibility *as *provided doesin notsubsection exceed(4) two hundred percent (200%) of thethis state'ssection. family median income as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

(3) * * * MTAG Works grants shall be for Mississippi resident students from any Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) * * * does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the state's family median income as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

(a) Member of a Mississippi family whose prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds * * * one hundred percent (100%) of the state's median family income as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 7(RF\EW) (b)(a) AcceptanceMember forof enrollmenta atMississippi anyfamily statewhose institutionprior ofyear higheradjusted learninggross orincome public(AGI) community* or* junior* collegedoes locatednot inexceed Mississippi,one orhundred anypercent regionally(100%) accredited,of state-approved,the nonprofitstate's two-yearmedian orfamily four-yearincome collegeas ordetermined universityby locatedthe inFree MississippiApplication andfor approvedFederal byStudent theAid. board.

(b) Acceptance for enrollment at any state institution of higher learning or public community or junior college located in Mississippi, or any regionally accredited, state-approved, nonprofit two-year or four-year college or university located in Mississippi and approved by the board.

(H. * * *6) Each student, each year, must complete * * * the Free Application for Federal Student Aid * * * to determine his or her eligibility for a * * * MTAG Works grant.

( * * *7) (a) The amount of the * * * MTAG Works grant awarded to any one (1) full-time student shall be determined by H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 8(RF\EW) the( board,* but* shall*6) notEach bestudent, lesseach thanyear, must complete * * * the Free Application for Federal Student Aid * * * amountto provideddetermine inhis subsectionor (3)her ofeligibility thisfor sectiona * * *.* MTAG Works grant.

( * * *7) (a) The amount of the * * * MTAG Works grant awarded to any one (1) full-time student shall be determined by the board, but shall not be less than the * * * amount provided in subsection (3) of this section * * *.

Falsification of such information shall result in the denial of any pending grant and revocation of any award currently held to theH. extent that no further payments shall be made by the board on the student's behalf.

Any student knowingly making false statements in order to receive a grant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 9(RF\EW) imprisonmentthe upextent tothat oneno (1)further yearpayments inshall thebe countymade jail, or by boththe suchboard fineon andthe imprisonment.student's behalf.

Any student knowingly making false statements in order to receive a grant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or imprisonment up to one (1) year in the county jail, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(c)H. * * * The award for an eligible student * * * enrolled for less than full-time status, as defined by the board, will be prorated based on the student's level of enrollment * * *.

(d) The board may conduct its own annual audits of any institution participating in the * * * MTAG Works Grant Program.

The board may suspend or revoke an institution's eligibility to H.

771 *HR43/R1746CS**HR43/R1746PH* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/HR43/R1746CS23/HR43/R1746PH PAGE 10(RF\EW) receive(c) future* monies* under* theThe programaward iffor itan findseligible thatstudent * * * enrolled for less than full-time status, as defined by the institutionboard, haswill notbe compliedprorated withbased on the provisionsstudent's level of thisenrollment section.* * *.

(d) The board may conduct its own annual audits of any institution participating in the * * * MTAG Works Grant Program.