Senate Bill 2954 Summary

• Appropriates $144,290,316 from the State General Fund and $43,685,363 from the Education Enhancement Fund for public community and junior colleges for fiscal year 2019 (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019).

• Distributes funds based on full-time equivalency (FTE) enrollment with weighted formulas for academic (1.0), technical (1.0), career (1.0), associate degree nursing (1.19), and allied health (1.19) programs.

• Provides additional appropriations for employee life and health insurance ($23,522,100), Workforce Development Centers ($4,500,000), Sign Language Interpreter Training ($179,050), Education Technology Program ($7,099,160), Advanced Training Centers ($2,250,000), Associate Degree Nursing and Allied Health Programs ($2,556,922), and dropout recovery initiatives ($3,000,000).

• Establishes performance targets for fiscal year 2019 including degree completion rates, student retention, transfer rates, nursing licensure pass rates, and career/technical job placement rates.

• Funds apply to 15 participating Mississippi community and junior colleges; prohibits use of funds for state legislators' salaries and certain employee housing utilities.