Bill > HB1798

This bill provides a significant appropriation of $257,807,216 from the State General Fund to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, specifically to address a long-standing funding disparity between Mississippi's two land grant universities for the fiscal year 2025-2026. Land grant universities are institutions established through the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, which were designed to focus on agriculture, science, and mechanical arts, with a particular emphasis on providing educational opportunities to all social classes. In this case, the bill aims to provide additional funding to Alcorn State University, which is likely historically underfunded compared to the state's other land grant institution. The appropriated funds will be disbursed by the State Treasurer through warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer, following standard state procurement procedures. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and represents a legislative effort to rectify decades of financial inequity in higher education funding.

Budget and Finance

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB1798.xml