House Bill 59 Summary

• Establishes the "Mississippi Promise Scholarship Act of 2020" to provide last-dollar scholarships covering tuition and mandatory fees not covered by other gift aid for Mississippi residents attending eligible postsecondary institutions.

• Requires scholarship recipients to enroll full-time at eligible community colleges immediately after high school graduation, GED completion (before age 19), or homeschool completion, and maintain continuous enrollment with satisfactory academic progress.

• Scholarship recipients must participate in mentoring and community service programs and are eligible for up to 2.5 years or until earning a certificate, diploma, or associate degree, whichever occurs first.

• Establishes two endowments to fund the program: one from community college board program revenues invested in the Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Trust Fund, and another from 33.333% of lottery proceeds exceeding $80 million annually transferred to the Education Enhancement Fund.

• Authorizes the Mississippi Community College Board to administer the program and promulgate rules governing eligibility, award amounts, academic progress standards, and leave of absence policies.