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H. B. No. 47 *HR26/R183* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Johnson, Anthony
HOUSE BILL NO. 47
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "ROBERT G. CLARK, JR., EDUCATIONAL 1
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, JACKSON STATE 2
UNIVERSITY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY" FOR THE 3
PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS PURSUING 4
A DEGREE IN EDUCATION, WHO WILL THEN COMMIT TO THE PRACTICE OF 5
TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS 6
GEOGRAPHICAL CRITICAL TEACHER SHORTAGE AREAS BY THE STATE BOARD OF 7
EDUCATION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEANS OF THE ALCORN STATE 8
UNIVERSITY, JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 9
UNIVERSITY COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, RESPECTIVELY, SHALL ADMINISTER 10
THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; TO CAP THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED 11
ANNUALLY; TO LIMIT TO FOUR YEARS DURATION FOR WHICH A STUDENT MAY 12
RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS; TO DEFINE TERMINOLOGY USED IN THE ACT; 13
TO AUTHORIZE THE DEANS OF THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION OF EACH 14
RESPECTIVE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING DESIGNATED HEREIN TO 15
PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE 16
PROGRAM WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE RESPECTIVE PRESIDENTS 17
OF ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, MISSISSIPPI 18
VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE 19
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM CRITERIA 20
FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR RECEIPT OF SCHOLARSHIP, CONTINUED MAINTENANCE 21
OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AND POST PROGRAM COMPLETION OBLIGATIONS AND 22
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PERFORM THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION OF THE 23
SCHOLARSHIP AGREEMENT; TO AUTHORIZE THE ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, 24
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY 25
COLLEGES OF EDUCATION TO ACCEPT GIFTS, DONATIONS, BEQUESTS, GRANTS 26
AND ANY OTHER MONIES FROM ANY SOURCE WHATSOEVER TO BE USED FOR THE 27
PURPOSES OF ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE EACH DEAN TO 28
SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT 29
WHO RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE PROGRAM AND HOW MUCH EACH 30
PERSON RECEIVED, AND THE AMOUNT OF ANY GIFTS, DONATIONS AND OTHER 31
FUNDS RECEIVED AND HOW THOSE FUNDS WERE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF 32
THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 33
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 34
SECTION 1. There is established, at Alcorn State University, 35
Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University, 36
the "Robert G. Clark, Jr., Educational Scholarship Program" for 37
the purpose of identifying and providing qualified students with 38
scholarships to assist such students in pursuing degrees through 39
matriculation in education and licensure through the State 40
Department of Education. The scholarship program shall: 41
(a) Be developed and implemented in order to provide 42
encouragement, opportunities and incentives for persons pursuing 43
an education degree at Alcorn State University, Jackson State 44
University or Mississippi Valley State University to: 45
(i) Provide services as a licensed full-time 46
teacher in a public school district in Mississippi; and 47
(ii) Receive specialized training to meet the 48
needs of public school districts designated as a geographical 49
critical teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education; 50
(b) Be administered by the Deans of the Alcorn State 51
University, Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State 52
University Colleges of Education, respective to his or her 53
individual institution of employment administration; and 54
(c) Annually award scholarships to an average of two 55
(2) scholars per institution of higher learning designated in this 56
act, whose scholarship assistance may be funded annually for a 57
period not to exceed four (4) years. 58
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SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following terms shall 59
have the meanings ascribed in this section unless context of use 60
clearly requires otherwise: 61
(a) "Student" means a student enrolled in the Alcorn 62
State University, Jackson State University or Mississippi Valley 63
State University Colleges of Education. 64
(b) "Dean" means the Dean of the Alcorn State 65
University, Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State 66
University Colleges of Education, respectively. 67
(c) "Program" means the Robert G. Clark, Jr., 68
Educational Scholarship Program administered by the Alcorn State 69
University, Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State 70
University Colleges of Education. 71
SECTION 3. The Deans of the Alcorn State University, Jackson 72
State University and Mississippi Valley State University Colleges 73
of Education shall have the following powers and duties: 74
(a) Develop the administrative policy for the Robert G. 75
Clark, Jr., Educational Scholarship Program; 76
(b) Promulgating rules and regulations, with the advice 77
and consent of the respective Presidents of Alcorn State 78
University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State 79
University and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of 80
Higher Learning, pertaining to the implementation and operation of 81
the Robert G. Clark, Jr., Educational Scholarship Program; 82
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(c) Annually establish a selection committee, composed 83
of faculty of the Alcorn State University, Jackson State 84
University and Mississippi Valley State University Colleges of 85
Education, respectively, which shall conduct a process, 86
independent from the university's Admissions Committee, to review 87
applications, conduct virtual or in-person interviews and select 88
recipients; 89
(d) Establish a budget, with the advice and consent of 90
the respective Presidents of Alcorn State University, Jackson 91
State University, Mississippi Valley State University and the 92
Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, to 93
support the activities of the program and periodically review, and 94
if appropriate, revise the scholarship and other stipends offered 95
through the program; 96
(e) Review scholarship recipients' progress in the 97
program and mentor students and teachers participating in the 98
program; and 99
(f) Develop and participate in programs that provide 100
initial practice support in collaboration with other interested 101
professional organizations; 102
(h) Give preference for approving communities for 103
purposes of Section 4(2)(d) to communities located in areas 104
designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area by the 105
State Board of Education. 106
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SECTION 4. (1) (a) Subject to the availability of funds, 107
the program may annually enter into agreements with up to an 108
average of two (2) education students as determined by the 109
criteria established for the administration of the Robert G. 110
Clark, Jr., Educational Scholarship Program. 111
(b) Each student entering into a program agreement 112
under this section shall receive annual assistance in an amount 113
not to exceed the in-state tuition rate assessed for attending 114
Alcorn State University, Jackson State University or Mississippi 115
Valley State University for a period not to exceed four (4) years 116
for tuition and fees incurred by the student in pursuit of his or 117
her education degree. Upon completion of all commitments under 118
the provisions of the agreement and the provisions of this 119
section, the financial obligations pursuant to this section shall 120
be deemed satisfied and forgiven. 121
(2) To be eligible for program scholarship funds, recipients 122
shall: 123
(a) Be a student of the Alcorn State University, 124
Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University 125
Colleges of Education; 126
(b) Agree to become a licensed public school teacher 127
in a public school district designated as a geographical critical 128
teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education in the State 129
of Mississippi upon graduation; 130
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(c) Enter into a contract with the program to provide 131
services as a full-time public school teacher in a district 132
designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area by the 133
State Board of Education for a minimum of four (4) years; and 134
(d) Commence employment as a full-time public school 135
teacher in a district designated as a geographical critical 136
teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education within 137
ninety (90) days after completion of the degree program or, if the 138
scholarship recipient enters a post-degree training program, such 139
as graduate school, internship or residency program, within ninety 140
(90) days after completion of the post-degree training program. 141
(3) Priority shall be given to Mississippi residents. If 142
the number of Mississippi residents applying for scholarship funds 143
is less than the number of slots available, nonresident students 144
may be considered. Nonresident students shall only receive 145
scholarship funds sufficient to pay for in-state tuition rates, 146
and they must meet the same obligations as specified in subsection 147
(2) of this section for students who are residents of the State of 148
Mississippi. 149
(4) (a) Recipients of the scholarship must remain in good 150
academic standing while in receipt of this scholarship, as 151
specified in the rules and regulations promulgated by the 152
respective Deans of the Alcorn State University, Jackson State 153
University and Mississippi Valley State University Colleges of 154
Education with the advice and consent of the respective Presidents 155
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of Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi 156
Valley State University and the Board of Trustees of State 157
Institutions of Higher Learning. 158
(b) If a student is dismissed or withdraws from the 159
Alcorn State University, Jackson State University or Mississippi 160
Valley State University Colleges of Education, the dean of the 161
respective institution of higher learning shall assess the 162
circumstances of the student's dismissal or withdrawal and make a 163
formal recommendation regarding whether the student shall be 164
liable for the repayment of all or a portion of the financial 165
assistance provided to the student through the program, along with 166
other penalties that may be prescribed in accordance with the 167
policies adopted by the dean as prescribed in Section 6 of this 168
act. 169
(5) Each dean may adopt additional provisions, requirements 170
or conditions for participating in the program as are practicable 171
and appropriate to accomplish the provisions of the program or 172
which may be required for the implementation or administration of 173
the program, and which are not inconsistent with the provisions of 174
this section. 175
SECTION 5. (1) The Alcorn State University, Jackson State 176
University and Mississippi Valley State University Colleges of 177
Education, respectively, are authorized to accept gifts, 178
donations, bequests, trusts, grants, endowments, transfers of 179
money or securities, repayments and any other monies from any 180
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source whatsoever to be used for the purposes of administering the 181
Robert G. Clark, Jr., Educational Scholarship Program. 182
(2) Each dean shall prepare and submit an annual report to 183
the Legislature not later than December 1 of each year, which 184
shall include, but not be limited to, information about who 185
received scholarships under the program and how much each person 186
received, and the amount of any funds received under subsection 187
(1) of this section and how those funds were used for the purpose 188
of the program. 189
(3) The appropriation requests of Alcorn State University, 190
Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University 191
Colleges of Education and the program shall be reduced if a 192
saturation point is achieved and the shortage of licensed public 193
school teachers in school districts that are designated as 194
geographical critical teacher shortage areas is adequately 195
addressed. 196
SECTION 6. (1) A teacher shall be released from the program 197
contract without penalty if: 198
(a) The teacher has completed the service requirements 199
of the contract; 200
(b) The teacher is unable to complete the service 201
requirements of the contract because of a permanent physical 202
disability; 203
(c) The teacher demonstrates extreme hardship or shows 204
other good cause justifying the release; or 205
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(d) The teacher dies. 206
(2) An obligation to engage in the teaching profession as a 207
public school teacher in accordance with the provisions of Section 208
4 shall be postponed during: 209
(a) Any period of temporary medical disability during 210
which the person obligated is unable to teach due to the 211
disability; and 212
(b) Any other period of postponement agreed to or 213
determined in accordance with criteria agreed to in the practice 214
agreement. 215
(3) A teacher shall be released from further performance of 216
services under the program contract if he or she is unable to 217
perform his or her contractual obligations to teach due to the 218
suspension or revocation of his or her license by the State Board 219
of Education pursuant Section 37-3-2. If a teacher is released 220
from his or her contract pursuant to this subsection, the program 221
may recover a portion of or all of the payments made to such 222
teacher under Section 4 of this act. Each dean may use 223
appropriate remedies available to enforce this subsection. 224
(4) Upon the failure of a person to satisfy the obligation 225
to engage in the teaching profession as a public school teacher in 226
a school district designated as geographical critical teacher 227
shortage area in accordance with the provisions of this section 228
with no just cause as outlined in subsection (1), that person 229
shall, within ninety (90) days of the failure, be liable for the 230
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ST: Robert G. Clark, Jr., Educational
Scholarship Program; create.
repayment of all financial assistance provided to such person 231
through the program prescribed in accordance with the policies 232
adopted by the dean of the institution of higher learning for 233
which the scholarship was granted, less a prorated amount based on 234
any periods of teaching meeting the requirements of this section, 235
plus interest at the prime rate of two percent (2%) from the date 236
the assistance accrued. The interest on any unpaid obligation for 237
violations specified in this subsection shall be compounded 238
annually. 239
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 240
and after July 1, 2026. 241