Read the full stored bill text
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 1 (icj\kr)
To: Education;
Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Blount, Simmons (12th)
SENATE BILL NO. 2516
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-106-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROVIDE THE SAME AWARDS UNDER THE WILLIAM F. WINTER AND JACK 2
REED, SR., TEACHER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR ASSISTANT TEACHERS 3
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS PROVIDED FOR TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND 4
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 37-106-36, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
37-106-36. (1) There is established the "William F. Winter 9
and Jack Reed, Sr., Teacher Loan Repayment Program." 10
(2) Subject to the availability of funds, an eligible 11
applicant for an initial award must have: 12
(a) Graduated from a baccalaureate degree-granting 13
institution of higher learning which is regionally accredited by 14
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or a 15
comparable accreditation body; 16
(b) Signed a contract as a full-time teacher or 17
assistant teacher in a public school district in Mississippi; 18
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 2 (icj\kr)
(c) Obtained a standard five-year license or a 19
nontraditional five-year alternate route license. * * * This 20
requirement applies only to teachers, not assistant teachers. 21
Teachers with provisional emergency licenses shall not be eligible 22
applicants; and 23
(d) Outstanding qualifying undergraduate or graduate 24
educational loans, which may include the principal, interest and 25
related expenses such as the required interest premium on the 26
unpaid balances of government and commercial loans obtained by the 27
recipient for undergraduate educational expense. 28
(3) Persons who have received funds from other forgivable 29
loan programs established for teachers or assistant teachers under 30
Mississippi law, or who are presently in default or delinquent on 31
any federal, state, local or commercial qualifying educational 32
loan, shall not be eligible for this program. 33
(4) Provided that initial recipients remain eligible under 34
the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, they may retain 35
eligibility for two (2) additional awards, subject to the 36
availability of funds. 37
(5) Initial recipients shall be selected on a first-come, 38
first-served basis of all eligible applicants, subject to the 39
availability of funds. In the second and third years of an 40
applicant's continued eligibility, priority consideration shall 41
first be given to renewal applicants. The State Financial Aid 42
Board shall develop rules for ensuring that expenses of the 43
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 3 (icj\kr)
program in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in 44
that fiscal year. For that purpose, and any other provision of 45
this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the State Financial 46
Aid Board may limit the acceptance of applications and may limit 47
the number of awards. 48
(6) Among teacher and assistant teacher recipients, priority 49
consideration shall be given to persons who are teaching in a 50
public school district designated as a geographical critical 51
teacher shortage area by the State Board of Education. 52
(7) Awards for teacher recipients who have signed a contract 53
to teach in a public school district that is not designated as a 54
geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows: 55
(a) One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for 56
the initial award; 57
(b) Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for 58
the second award; and 59
(c) Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) for 60
the third award. 61
(8) Awards for teacher recipients who have signed a contract 62
to teach in a public school district that is designated as a 63
geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as follows: 64
(a) Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) for the initial 65
award; 66
(b) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for the second 67
award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same 68
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 4 (icj\kr)
public school district or another public school district 69
designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of 70
Education; and 71
(c) Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the third 72
award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same 73
public school district or another public school district 74
designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of 75
Education. 76
(9) Awards for assistant teacher recipients who have signed 77
a contract to teach in a public school district that is not 78
designated as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall 79
be as follows: 80
(a) One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for 81
the initial award; 82
(b) Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for 83
the second award; and 84
(c) Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) for 85
the third award. 86
(10) Awards for assistant teacher recipients who have signed 87
a contract to teach in a public school district that is designated 88
as a geographical critical teacher shortage area shall be as 89
follows: 90
(a) Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) for the initial 91
award; 92
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 5 (icj\kr)
(b) Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for the second 93
award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same 94
public school district or another public school district 95
designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of 96
Education; and 97
(c) Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the third 98
award, provided the recipient continues to teach in the same 99
public school district or another public school district 100
designated a geographical shortage area by the State Board of 101
Education. 102
( * * *11) An initial recipient who moves to another public 103
school district shall be eligible to receive an award based on the 104
amount allowed under the program in the new district where the 105
teacher or assistant teacher is employed. 106
( * * *12) Awards shall be granted on a year-to-year basis, 107
and recipients shall have no obligation to seek a future award. 108
( * * *13) Awards shall be paid annually, after the 109
expiration of the one-year teaching or assistant teaching contract 110
for which the award was granted, to the recipient's lender or loan 111
service provider, and shall be applied to the outstanding balance. 112
Monies paid on the recipient's behalf toward qualifying 113
undergraduate or graduate educational loans prior to receiving 114
payment of the award shall not be eligible for repayment through 115
the program. 116
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 6 (icj\kr)
( * * *14) During the teaching or assistant teaching year 117
for which the award is granted, a recipient must at all times keep 118
the State Financial Aid Board informed of any changes to the 119
recipient's current contact information and employment status. 120
( * * *15) Recipients who fail to maintain a standard or 121
nontraditional license or fail to fulfill the one-year teaching or 122
assistant teaching contract on which the award was based shall 123
forfeit any right to the award. 124
( * * *16) The State Financial Aid Board, in collaboration 125
with the State Board of Education, shall track recipients of an 126
award under this program through the fourth year after receiving 127
their initial award, unless the recipient shall leave teaching in 128
a public school district at an earlier date. Data collected shall 129
include recipients' undergraduate or graduate institution, school 130
district, subject area/grade level in teaching and any other 131
pertinent information necessary to determine the efficacy of the 132
program in retaining teachers and assistant teachers. 133
( * * *17) The State Financial Aid Board shall promulgate 134
regulations necessary for the proper administration of this 135
section, including rules for ensuring that expenses of the program 136
in a fiscal year do not exceed funding for the program in that 137
fiscal year. 138
( * * *18) There is established in the State Treasury a 139
special fund to be designated the "William F. Winter and Jack 140
Reed, Sr., Loan Repayment Program Fund," into which shall be 141
S. B. No. 2516 *SS26/R558* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS26/R558
PAGE 7 (icj\kr)
ST: Winter-Reed Loan Repayment Program; provide
awards for assistant teachers.
deposited those funds appropriated by the Legislature, and any 142
other funds that may be made available, for the purpose of 143
implementing the loan repayment program established herein. Money 144
in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the 145
General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts deposited into 146
the fund shall be credited to the special fund. 147
( * * *19) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 148
2028. 149
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 150
and after July 1, 2026. 151