Appropriation; Community and Junior College Board - Support for community and junior colleges.

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To: Appropriations
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Hopson, DeBar, Frazier, Boyd,
DuPree, Sparks, Williams

SENATE BILL NO. 3063
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE AID AND SUPPORT OF THE 1
PUBLIC COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI 2
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 5
necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 6
General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the operation and 7
support of the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal 8
year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............. 9
............................................... $ 226,287,891.00. 10
SECTION 2. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be 11
necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State 12
Treasury to the credit of the special funds specified herein to 13
the Mississippi Community College Board for the operation and 14
support of the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal 15
year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027............. 16
................................................ $ 92,755,520.00. 17
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SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this 18
act, Ninety-one Million Seven Hundred Fifty-five Thousand Five 19
Hundred Twenty Dollars ($91,755,520.00) shall be derived from 20
funds in the Education Enhancement Fund deposited pursuant to 21
Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, not 22
otherwise appropriated, for the operation and support of public 23
community and junior colleges. 24
SECTION 4. The funds provided in this section shall be 25
allocated for the aid and support of the public and community 26
junior colleges through the community college support funding 27
formula and shall be apportioned in accordance with the following 28
assigned weights: 29
FTE 30
Formula Section Formula 31
(a) Aid to Colleges: 32
Base 15% prior year 33
appropriation 34
Academic 1.0 35
Technical 1.0 36
(b) Career 1.0 37
(c) Associate Degree 38
Nursing 1.19 39
(d) Associate Degree 40
Allied Health 1.19 41
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Academic, Technical, Career, Associate Degree Nursing and 42
Associate Degree Allied Health funds shall be disbursed on the 43
basis of prior year full-time equivalency (FTE) of hours generated 44
during the summer, fall and spring semesters for each public 45
community and junior college student actually enrolled and in 46
attendance the last day of the sixth week of each semester, or its 47
equivalent, counting only students who reside within the State of 48
Mississippi. However, associate degree nursing students who 49
reside outside the State of Mississippi may be counted for pay 50
purposes. 51
The Director of the Mississippi Community College Board, or 52
his designee, shall audit each public community and junior college 53
and shall determine who shall be counted in each college and shall 54
certify the number to the Mississippi Community College Board. 55
If, pending determination of the enrollment of students at 56
the public community and junior colleges entitled to participate 57
in this appropriation, as provided for in this section, the 58
Mississippi Community College Board shall find and determine that 59
any such public or community junior college does not have 60
sufficient funds on hand for payment of the necessary expenses of 61
its operation for the period commencing July 1, 2026, until 62
distribution of the funds appropriated hereby, then, in that 63
event, the Mississippi Community College Board is expressly 64
authorized to make an advance to any such public community or 65
junior college or colleges not having sufficient operating funds 66
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for such period from the funds appropriated hereby; provided, 67
however, that the amount of any such advance to any one (1) public 68
community or junior college shall not exceed thirty-three percent 69
(33%) of the amount of state-appropriated funds received by such 70
public community or junior college during the preceding fiscal 71
year; and provided, further, that the amount of any such advance 72
shall be deducted from the pro rata part of the funds appropriated 73
hereby accruing to said public community or junior college when 74
enrollment has been ascertained and distribution of funds is made. 75
(a) Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this act, 76
an amount not to exceed One Hundred Seventy-four Million 77
Ninety-two Thousand Four Hundred Sixty-six Dollars 78
($174,092,466.00) is authorized for the aid and support of the 79
public community colleges to be distributed through the community 80
college support funding formula. 81
(b) Of the funds provided in Section 3 of this act, 82
Fifty-one Million Eight Hundred Eighty-four Thousand Nine Hundred 83
Forty-six Dollars ($51,884,946.00), or so much as may be 84
necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 85
to the credit of the Education Enhancement Fund and deposited 86
pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 87
1972. These funds are authorized for the aid and support of the 88
public community colleges to be distributed through the community 89
college support funding formula. 90
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SECTION 5. The following public community and junior 91
colleges which qualify shall participate in the funds provided 92
herein: 93
Coahoma Community College, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, 94
East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community 95
College, Hinds Community College, Holmes Community College, 96
Itawamba Community College, Jones County Junior College, Meridian 97
Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, 98
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Northeast Mississippi 99
Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Pearl 100
River Community College, and Southwest Mississippi Community 101
College. 102
SECTION 6. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 103
act, an amount not to exceed Thirty-two Million Six Hundred Ten 104
Thousand Two Hundred Ninety-three Dollars ($32,610,293.00) is 105
authorized for the aid of the public community and junior colleges 106
to fund life and health insurance for all employees of the public 107
community and junior colleges. 108
The funds allocated in this section shall only be used to 109
participate in the State and School Employees' Life and Health 110
Insurance Plan and any funds appropriated in this section for this 111
purpose, which are not expended during the fiscal year shall be 112
carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding 113
fiscal year. 114
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SECTION 7. Of the funds appropriated in Section 2 of this 115
act, One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) shall be derived out of 116
any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Insurance 117
Carryover Fund No. 3295, for the purpose of fully funding life and 118
health insurance through the State and School Employees' Life and 119
Health Insurance Plan for all qualified community and junior 120
college employees. 121
SECTION 8. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 122
act, an amount not to exceed Six Million Seven Hundred Fifty 123
Thousand Dollars ($6,750,000.00) shall be used for the purpose of 124
Workforce and Economic Development Support, including the 125
operation of the Workforce Development Centers and Advanced 126
Training Centers, providing start-up costs for new career and 127
technical programs, and providing the necessary funding to replace 128
outdated and obsolete equipment for existing career and technical 129
programs at each of the public community and junior colleges. 130
SECTION 9. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 131
act, One Hundred Seventy-nine Thousand Fifty Dollars ($179,050.00) 132
shall be used for the purpose of defraying the cost of Sign 133
Language Interpreter Training at the public community and junior 134
colleges. 135
SECTION 10. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 and 136
provided in Section 2 of this act, Ten Million Dollars 137
($10,000,000.00) shall be used by the Mississippi Community 138
College Board for the purpose of defraying the cost of the 139
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Education Technology Program at the public community and junior 140
colleges and the Mississippi Community College Board. Seven 141
Million Ninety-nine Thousand One Hundred Sixty Dollars 142
($7,099,160.00) shall be derived from Section 1 of this act, and 143
Two Million Nine Hundred Thousand Eight Hundred Forty Dollars 144
($2,900,840.00) shall be derived from Section 3 of this act out of 145
any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the Education 146
Enhancement Fund and deposited pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 147
27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972. 148
SECTION 11. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 149
act, Two Million Five Hundred Fifty-six Thousand Nine Hundred 150
Twenty-two Dollars ($2,556,922.00) shall be used for the purpose 151
of defraying the cost of the Associate Degree Nursing and Allied 152
Health Programs. 153
SECTION 12. Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of this 154
act, Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) shall be used for the 155
purpose of continuing the dropout recovery initiative based on a 156
successful program administered through the adult basic education 157
program with the Mississippi Community College Board. These funds 158
shall also be used for the purpose of enrolling low-skill adults 159
in career pathways that combine high school equivalency, skills 160
training and workforce credentials in an intensive program that 161
produces adults who can compete for jobs. 162
Of the funds provided in this section, one-half (1/2) shall 163
be allocated equally and the remaining one-half (1/2) shall be 164
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allocated on the basis of the prior year headcount enrollment in 165
Adult Education, MIBEST or other career pathway programs. 166
The public community and junior colleges shall prepare and 167
make available to the Legislature and the Legislative Budget 168
Office a comprehensive report on the number of dropouts that have 169
enrolled in a High School Equivalency and/or career program for 170
each community and junior college during Fiscal Year 2026 on, or 171
before, August 1, 2027. 172
SECTION 13. Of the funds provided in Section 3 of this act, 173
Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00), or so much thereof as may be 174
necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 175
to the credit of the Education Enhancement Fund and deposited 176
pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 177
1972. These funds shall be used for the Career and Technical 178
Advantage Program which will provide start-up costs for new career 179
and technical programs, expansion of existing career and technical 180
programs, and infrastructure for career and technical program 181
equipment, lab upgrades, and renovations to sustain the programs 182
at public community colleges. Fifteen percent (15%) of the funds 183
appropriated in this section shall be distributed evenly to each 184
community college. The remaining eighty-five percent (85%) of the 185
funds shall be distributed on the basis of prior year career and 186
technical full-time equivalency (FTE) hours generated during the 187
summer, fall, and spring semesters for each public community 188
college. 189
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SECTION 14. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance 190
Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of 191
the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized 192
in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the 193
intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, 194
this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted 195
performance measures provided below: 196
FY2027 197
Performance Measures Target 198
Instruction 199
Number of Total Degrees Awarded per 100 200
FTE Enrollment 33.58 201
Number of Associate Degrees Awarded per 202
100 FTE Enrollment 16.55 203
Number of Associate of Applied Science 204
Degrees Awarded per 100 FTE Enrollment 9.89 205
Number of Certificates Awarded per 100 206
FTE Enrollment 12.97 207
Percent of First-Time Entering, 208
Part-Time Degree- Seeking Students 209
(Fall) who Earned 24 Credit Hours by the 210
End of Year Two 15.81 211
Percent of First-Time Entering, 212
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students (Fall) 213
who Earned 42 Credit Hours by the End 214
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of Year Two 44.99 215
Percent of Associate Degree Nursing and 216
Practical Nursing Licensure Exam Pass 217
Rates 90.30 218
Percent of Total Student Success, Which 219
Includes Graduates, Transfers, and 220
Retention (Those Still Enrolled) 68.56 221
Percent of Graduates 38.42 222
Percent of Transfers 17.59 223
Percent of Retention 8.49 224
Percent of Students Enrolled in Career/ 225
Technical and Health Science Graduates 23.50 226
Percent of In-State Job Placements of 227
Career/ Technical and Health Science 228
Graduates 86.15 229
Number of High School Equivalencies Awarded 1,752 230
A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets 231
set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the 232
agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget 233
Committee for Fiscal Year 2028. 234
SECTION 15. It is the intention of the Legislature that none 235
of the General Funds appropriated herein shall be expended for the 236
purpose of paying salaries, wages, and fringe benefits of any 237
public community and junior college employee who is serving as a 238
member of the State of Mississippi Legislature. 239
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SECTION 16. A Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition 240
(MPACT) program beneficiary shall be considered a Mississippi 241
resident for the purposes of participating in this appropriation 242
regardless of the beneficiary's residence on the date of 243
enrollment, as set out in Section 37-155-5(d)(iii), Mississippi 244
Code of 1972. 245
SECTION 17. It is the intention of the Legislature that none 246
of the funds provided herein shall be used to pay certain 247
utilities for state-furnished housing for any employees. Such 248
utilities shall include electricity, natural gas, butane, propane, 249
cable and phone services. Where actual cost cannot be determined, 250
the agency shall be required to provide meters to be in compliance 251
with legislative intent. Such state-furnished housing shall 252
include single-family and multifamily residences but shall not 253
include any dormitory residences. Allowances for such utilities 254
shall be prohibited. 255
SECTION 18. It is the intention of the Legislature that 256
whenever two (2) or more bids are received by this agency for the 257
purchase of commodities or equipment, and whenever all things 258
stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, 259
quality and service, the Mississippi Industries for the Blind 260
shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to 261
the Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever purchases are 262
made without competitive bids. 263
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SECTION 19. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 264
support of the community and junior colleges shall maintain 265
complete accounting and personnel records related to the 266
expenditure of all funds appropriated under this act and that such 267
records shall be in the same format and level of detail as 268
maintained for Fiscal Year 2026. It is further the intention of 269
the Legislature that the agency's budget request for Fiscal Year 270
2028 shall be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee 271
in a format and level of detail comparable to the format and level 272
of detail provided during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request 273
process. 274
SECTION 20. It is the intention of the Legislature that the 275
funds herein appropriated shall be expended in compliance with 276
Section 27-104-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, that no state agency 277
shall incur obligations or indebtedness in excess of their 278
appropriation and that the responsible officers, either personally 279
or upon their official bonds, shall be held responsible for 280
actions contrary to this provision. 281
SECTION 21. The funds disbursed under the provisions of this 282
act shall be accounted for through the Mississippi Community 283
College Board. No part of the amount herein appropriated shall be 284
used by the Mississippi Community College Board for administrative 285
or other purposes except in the manner and to the extent 286
authorized in this act making an appropriation for the expenses of 287
the Mississippi Community College Board. 288
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SECTION 22. Of the funds appropriated in Section 3 of this 289
act, Six Million Nine Hundred Sixty-nine Thousand Seven Hundred 290
Thirty-four Dollars ($6,969,734.00), or so much thereof as may be 291
necessary, shall be derived out of any money in the State Treasury 292
to the credit of the Education Enhancement Fund and deposited 293
pursuant to Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 294
1972. These funds are provided for the equivalent of a Two 295
Thousand Dollar ($2,000.00) salary increase for all professors and 296
adjunct professors at each Community and Junior College, at the 297
discretion of the Presidents. 298
SECTION 23. Of the funds appropriated in Section 3 of this 299
act, the following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is 300
hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury to the 301
credit of the Education Enhancement Fund deposited pursuant to 302
Sections 27-65-75 and 27-67-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, and 303
allocated in a manner as determined by the Treasurer's Office, to 304
defray the expenses of the public community and junior colleges, 305
acting through the Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property 306
Management, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending 307
June 30, 2027.................................... $ 20,000,000.00. 308
This appropriation is made for the purpose of providing the 309
funds necessary to authorize the expenditure of funds for 310
construction and/or repair and renovation projects for the public 311
community and junior colleges as allocated herein: 312
Coahoma Community College................... $ 618,477.00. 313
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ST: Appropriation; Community and Junior College
Board - Support for community and junior
colleges.
Copiah- Lincoln Community College........... $ 919,474.00. 314
East Central Community College.............. $ 649,310.00. 315
East Mississippi Community College.......... $ 1,073,981.00. 316
Hinds Community College..................... $ 3,073,386.00. 317
Holmes Community College.................... $ 1,389,649.00. 318
Itawamba Community College.................. $ 1,608,920.00. 319
Jones Junior College........................ $ 1,284,591.00. 320
Meridian Community College.................. $ 799,025.00. 321
Mississippi Delta Community College......... $ 718,675.00. 322
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.... $ 2,434,368.00. 323
Northeast Mississippi Community College..... $ 1,255,022.00. 324
Northwest Mississippi Community College..... $ 1,930,286.00. 325
Pearl River Community College............... $ 1,650,064.00. 326
Southwest Mississippi Community College..... $ 594,772.00. 327
SECTION 24. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by 328
the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the 329
credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon 330
warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal 331
Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the 332
proper person, officer or officers, in the manner provided by law. 333
SECTION 25. This act shall take effect and be in force from 334
and after July 1, 2026. 335