EMCC president weighs in on community college bill

If a bill currently in the Mississippi Legislature passes the Senate, more Mississippians will have opportunities through the state’s community colleges

House Bill 405 passed the House this week in a landslide 1112 vote and as written, would establish the “Mississippi Career-

Tech Scholar’s Program,” which would offer last-minute scholarships to study needed career and technical fields at any of Mississippi’s community colleges.

“It provides for lastdollar financial support for students, meaning that if they have exhausted their opportunities for financial aid,” said East Mississippi Community College President Thomas Huebner. “If they’re in that category after regular scholarship opportunities and federal financial aid opportunities have been

exhausted and they still have an outstanding balance set to attend college, then this will give them the support they need to enroll at EMCC.”

Huebner said he was unsure what programs exactly would be allotted for in the bill, but said he assumed many of the high-need manufacturing programs already offered by EMCC would be included.

“This will, we believe, dovetail very nicely with our Communiversity and our efforts in manufacturing technology,” Huebner said. “It certainly could also apply to other areas as well. We just

don’t know, healthcare-related for example. We don’t know how it’s going to play out in detail yet.”

Rep. Rob Roberson, RStarkville, also voiced his support for the bill.

“It’s a good thing for folks that want to go to junior college and get any kind of vocational skill they want to,” Roberson said.

Roberson also said the bill would open up opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend college.

“It’s basically set up so that if you don’t qualify for a scholarship, whether it be for academia or some

other type deal, you can get this money for a vocational thing,” Roberson said.

Students in the program would be required to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and participate in any available work-based learning opportunities offered by their respective program. Students would also be required to enroll in a minimum of 15 credit hours. Students working full-time would be allowed to enroll for nine credit hours with a letter stating they are working full-time.

Huebner said he was unaware of any similar programs, but said the program was not unlike some tuition guarantee programs offered by EMCC and other institutions.

“However, those programs are not focused on specific high-need career and tech programs,” Huebner said.

Huebner also said the program would open doors for some who would otherwise not have an opportunity to attend college.

“I think all of us are very optimistic about the similar equivalent bill making it through the Senate,” Huebner said. “Like I said, it had a vote of 111-2 which is truly outstanding.”