Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit (DEDC) Scholarship Rules and Regulations

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit (DEDC) Scholarship Rules and Regulations. The Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship program was created by the 2023 Mississippi Legislature to provide funds for Mississippi students to earn college credit while still in high school. These Rules and Regulations serve to guide the administration of the program and are subject to change by the Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board. I. GENERAL STUDENT ELIGIBILITY A. The applicant must be a current legal resident of Mississippi. Resident status for purposes of receiving DEDC 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., except for Section 37-103-17. B. The applicant must be classified as a junior or senior and enrolled in a Mississippi public high school or charter high school. C. The applicant must be a dual enrolled student as defined in Section 37-15-38(1)(a) or a dual credit student as defined in Section 37-15-38(1)(b) who is enrolled in an eligible course in an eligible, participating public or not-for-profit postsecondary institution in Mississippi. D. The applicant must meet the criteria outlined in the published Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs. E. The applicant must not be considered an “early college” student. F. The applicant must submit the Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit application online at www.msfinancialaid.org by the deadline date. II. STUDENT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS A. Complete the application for the Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship program online at www.msfinancialaid.org on or before March 15 during the spring of the academic year for which the student is seeking assistance. After the inaugural year, the application will open for all terms on April 1 each year. B. Be classified as eligible by an authorized official at the high school. To be classified as eligible by the high school, an applicant must: a. Be a Mississippi resident. b. Be classified as a junior or senior in a Mississippi public high school or charter high school. Applicants cannot be high school graduates. c. Meet the criteria outlined in the published Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs. C. Be verified by an eligible, participating public or not-for-profit profit postsecondary institution in Mississippi as a dual enrolled student as defined in Section 37-15-38(1)(a) or a dual credit student as defined in Section 37-15- 38(1)(b) who is enrolled in an eligible course listed in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs. D. Participate in an advising component related to the Mississippi Articulation and Transfer Tool (MATT) to understand how postsecondary course credits transfer. III. LENGTH AND AMOUNT OF AWARD A. Scholarship recipients may enroll in up to six (6) credit hours in an eligible, participating postsecondary institution at no cost for tuition. B. Scholarship recipients may use the award during a single term or spread the award over multiple terms. C. Scholarship recipients may use the award at a single institution during any given term. D. Eligible participating institutions will be reimbursed at the rate of forty percent (40%) of the average community college credit hour tuition for the current academic year for each DEDC scholarship recipient. E. Books, course materials, tools, supplies, lab fees, transportation costs and other applicable course fees are not included in the amount to be reimbursed and are ultimately the responsibility of the student. F. All awards are dependent upon the availability of funds. Selection of recipients shall be based on a first-come, first-served basis of all eligible applicants. G. Payment of DEDC awards shall be disbursed directly to the educational institutions. IV. INSTITUTIONAL AND HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES A. Institutional participation is optional. B. Any public state-supported two-year or four-year institution or any eligible not- for-profit private institution in Mississippi may choose to participate in the DEDC program. C. Participating institutions may choose to exclude specific centers, branch campuses, collegiate academies, and middle colleges within their governance from participating in the DEDC program. D. To participate in the DEDC program, institutions and high schools must adhere to all guidelines prescribed in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs. E. To participate in the DEDC program, institutions must agree to charge DEDC scholarship recipients a tuition rate equal to forty percent (40%) of the average community college credit hour tuition for the current academic year. F. To participate in the DEDC program, institutions must work with high schools to verify that all DEDC scholarship recipients meet the academic or other requirements prescribed in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs and are enrolled in eligible courses. Institutions will verify student eligibility by including the student on the enrollment verification report that is submitted each term to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. G. The Board may conduct annual audits of any participating high school, student, and/or institution to ensure compliance with these Rules and Regulations and the authorizing statute.