MS HB304

Waives tuition and mandatory student fees at Mississippi state institutions of higher learning for foster children, adopted children, and wards of the state who maintain a 2.25 cumulative GPA and meet entrance requirements.

Eligible students must be currently in Department of Human Services custody in foster or residential care, be adopted children meeting program criteria, or have had the department as legal custodian on their twenty-first birthday.

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and the tuition waiver is reduced if combined financial assistance exceeds total cost of attendance; maximum eligibility covers 120 university semester credit hours over 5 years or 4 years after high school graduation.

Department of Human Services must confirm student eligibility upon institutional request, and both the department and Board of Trustees must submit annual reports to the Legislature on program participation and graduation rates.

Board of Trustees must establish rules and regulations for program administration; waiver does not cover room and board costs and does not restrict access to other financial aid programs.