Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 10 - Education Institutions and Agencies › Part 611 - Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) › Chapter 1 - Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) Rules and Regulations › Rule 10-611-1.1 - Mississippi Resident Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) Rules and Regulations

Current through June 25, 2024
These Rules and Regulations are subject to change by the
				  Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board (Postsecondary
				  Board). All eligible students shall receive a Mississippi Resident Tuition
				  Assistance Grant (MTAG) award; however, the amount of each MTAG award depends
				  upon the availability of funds as authorized by the State Legislature.
I.
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY
A. The applicant must be a current legal
				resident of Mississippi. Resident status for purposes of receiving MTAG under
				this act shall be determined in the same manner as resident status for tuition
				purposes as set forth in Sections
				37-103-1
				through
				37-103-29,
				of Ms. Code Ann., with the exception of Section
				37-103-17.
B. The applicant must be continuously
				enrolled (not less than two semesters or three trimesters in each successive
				academic year) full-time (minimum 15 semester hours or 9 trimester hours) at
				the undergraduate level at one (1) eligible institution in the State of
				Mississippi.
C. The applicant must
				meet one of the following sets of academic criteria:
1. Graduated from high school, as verified by
				the institution before disbursement of awards, with a minimum cumulative grade
				point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as certified by the high school
				counselor or other authorized school official, and scored an ACT composite
				score of 15 or higher from a national test or tests. In lieu of ACT scores,
				students may submit equivalent SAT scores according to the official ACT/SAT
				concordance tables in publication at the time of the test in question;
				or
2. Attended a home education
				program during grade levels 9 through 12 and scored an ACT composite score of
				15 or higher from a national test or tests. In lieu of ACT scores, students may
				submit equivalent SAT scores according to the official ACT/SAT concordance
				tables in publication at the time of the test in question; or
3. Successfully completed the International
				Baccalaureate Program, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale,
				based on that school's grading system, and scored an ACT composite score of 15
				or higher from a national test or tests. In lieu of ACT scores, students may
				submit equivalent SAT scores according to the official ACT/SAT concordance
				tables in publication at the time of the test in question; or
4. Satisfactorily completed a high school
				equivalency diploma and scored an ACT composite score of 15 or higher from a
				national test or tests. In lieu of ACT scores, students may submit equivalent
				SAT scores according to the official ACT/SAT concordance tables in publication
				at the time of the test in question; or
5. Completed at least twelve (12) college
				hours and earned a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale on all college
				work.
D. Exception: Any
				student, including the entrant with a high school equivalency diploma, pursuing
				a non-academic program of study leading to a certificate or an associate of
				applied science degree is not required to take the ACT, unless required by the
				school.
E. The number of prior
				full-time semesters or trimesters that a student has attended college will not
				be a factor in determining a recipient's initial eligibility if he/she is
				otherwise eligible.
F. The
				applicant must not be financially eligible for the full Federal Pell Grant as
				evidenced either by an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) greater than zero (0)
				on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or by completion of a
				Financial Certification Statement certifying that the family income will
				preclude the applicant's eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant or other
				need-based Title IV funds.
G. The
				applicant must complete an application for state financial aid on or before
				September 15 during the fall of the aid year for which the student is seeking
				assistance.
H. The applicant must
				not currently be in default on a Federal or State educational loan or owe a
				repayment on a Federal or State grant.
I. The applicant must meet any other general
				requirements for admission and student financial aid at the student's eligible
				institution of choice.