Appropriation; IHL - Student Financial Aid., the official text

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar, Parks, Boyd, Butler, DeLano,
Suber

Senate Bill 3060

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING FOR THE SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF
FINANCIAL AID SCHOLARSHIP, LOAN AND GRANT PROGRAMS AND THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE
OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.

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

SECTION 1.  The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State
General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Board of Trustees of State
Institutions of Higher Learning for the support and maintenance of financial
aid scholarship, loan and grant programs authorized by law and administered by
the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and for support of the
Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, for the fiscal year beginning
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.... $
47,261,364.00.

SECTION 2.  The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby authorized out of the proceeds derived from any
federal funds, grants, donations, fees, or other special source funds which are
collected by or otherwise become available for the support and maintenance of
financial aid scholarship, loan and grant programs authorized by law including
funds used as federal matching funds for the GEAR UP Mississippi Scholarship
Program and administered by the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and
for support of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, for the fiscal
year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027 $
9,642,660.00.

SECTION 3. Of
the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Five Million One Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($5,100,000.00) shall be derived from funds in the Education
Enhancement Fund deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31,
Mississippi Code of 1972. This amount shall be used for the Higher
Education Legislative Plan Grant Program established by Section 37-106-75,
Mississippi Code of 1972, the Mississippi Eminent
Scholars Grant Program established by Section 37-106-31, Mississippi
Code of 1972, and the Mississippi Resident Tuition
Assistance Grant Program established by Section 37-106-29,
Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 4.  None of
the funds appropriated in this act shall be paid to or for the benefit of any
student who applies for the first time, subsequent to July 1, 2026, for
assistance through the Southeast Asia POW/MIA Grant established under the
provisions of Section 37-106-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, the Public
Management Graduate Internship established under the provisions of Section 37-106-43,
Mississippi Code of 1972, the State Medical Education Loan established under
the provisions of Section 37-106-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, the State Dental
Education Loan established under the provisions of Section 37-106-63,
Mississippi Code of 1972, the Graduate and Professional Degree Forgivable Loan
established under the provisions of Section 37-106-65, Mississippi Code of
1972, the Health Care Professions Forgivable Loan established under the
provisions of Section 37-106-67, Mississippi Code of 1972, or the Family
Protection Specialist Social Worker Forgivable Loan established under the
provisions of Section 37-106-69, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 5.  It is the
intention of the Legislature that of the funds appropriated under the
provisions of Section 1 of this act, the Board of Trustees of State
Institutions of Higher Learning shall expend from the support of the out-of-state
graduate and professional studies program an amount not exceeding the funding
necessary, contingent upon the availability of qualified applicants, for ten
(10) new entering optometry students and the number of returning optometry
students who received funding under the program during the preceding school
year.

SECTION 6.  In the
allocation of funds appropriated under the provisions of Sections 1 and 2 of
this act, among the student financial aid programs included herein, it is the
intention of the Legislature that priority shall be given and funds shall be
first allocated to all students eligible for financial aid under the provisions
of Section 37-106-39, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 7.  All funds
provided for in this act shall be accounted for in an annual report, which
shall be submitted at the next regular session of the Legislature within ten
(10) days after the convening thereof.  The report should detail for each
grant, scholarship, or loan program the number of recipients, the total amount
of awards made, and the average award amount.  The report shall include the
number of students at each institution receiving financial assistance and the
amount of such assistance.  For loan programs, the report shall also include a
summary of the repayment status and method of repayment for student cohorts as
well as an accounting of the receipt of funds in repayment.  Furthermore, all
funds received and expended shall be reported and otherwise accounted for in
accordance with the provisions of Section 37-106-11, Mississippi Code of 1972,
except where individual identifying information must be withheld pursuant to
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 USC Section 1232g 34
CFR Part 99.

No public or private
institution of higher learning receiving funds under the respective provisions
of this act, for the purpose of issuing scholarship grants or loans, shall
issue any official transcripts for any persons who have any amount of repayment
in arrears on the date such official transcript is requested.

SECTION 8.  It is the
intention of the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year
2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in a format
and level of detail comparable to the format and level of detail provided
during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request process.

SECTION 9.  Any funds
appropriated pursuant to this act and paid as a fee to or deposited in a
financial institution shall be in compliance with Section 109 of the
Constitution of the State of Mississippi and Section 25-4-105, Mississippi Code
of 1972.

SECTION 10.  It is
the intention of the Legislature that whenever two (2) or more bids are
received by this agency for the purchase of commodities or equipment, and
whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to
price, quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind shall be
given preference.  A similar preference shall be given to the Mississippi
Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are made without competitive bids.

SECTION 11.  Of the
funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, an amount not to exceed Seventy
Thousand Dollars ($70,000.00) is provided for the Speech-Language Pathologists
Loan Forgiveness Program established under the provisions of Section 37-106-73,
Mississippi Code of 1972, and administered by the Mississippi Office of Student
Financial Aid.

SECTION 12.  Awards
for the Higher Education Legislative Plan Grant Program, authorized by Section
37-106-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, shall be made to applicants meeting all
program requirements and found to be in financial need according to the
following definition:

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

(b)  The family has
annual adjusted gross income of less than 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).

SECTION 13.  Of the
funds appropriated in Section 2 of this act, Three Million Dollars
($3,000,000.00) shall be derived from funds in the Education Enhancement Fund
deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of
1972.  This amount shall be used for the Fostering Access and Inspiring True
Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program Act established by Section 37-106-81,
Mississippi Code of 1972, and the William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher
Loan Repayment Program established by Section 37-106-36, Mississippi Code of
1972.

SECTION 14.  It is
the intention of the Legislature that no student should receive undergraduate
grant aid through more than one state-supported undergraduate grant program in
the same term of enrollment.  If a student is eligible for aid through multiple
grant programs, the student shall be awarded from the program that awards the
larger sum.

SECTION
15.  It is the intention of the Legislature that all students must
demonstrate eligibility at the conclusion of each term during the regular
academic year in order to continue to receive state-supported aid.

SECTION 16. The following sum, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is reappropriated out of any money in the Education
Enhancement Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Mississippi Office of
Student Financial Aid for the purpose of reauthorizing the expenditure of
Education Enhancement Funds to defray the expenses of the Mississippi Office of
Student Financial Aid for the Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH)
Scholarship Program Act and the William F. Winter and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher
Loan Repayment Program, as authorized in Senate Bill 2008, 2025 First
Extraordinary Session, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending
June 30, 2027.. $   500,000.00.

Notwithstanding the amount
reappropriated under the provisions of this section, in no event shall the
amount expended exceed the unexpended balance as of June 30, 2026. In addition,
this reappropriation shall not change the purpose for which the funds were
originally authorized.

SECTION
17.  The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer
out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or
funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal
Officer, and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon
requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers, in the manner
provided by law.

SECTION 18.  This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.