High school seniors from Tishomingo County and Belmont High Schools joined Northeast Mississippi Community College officials, the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors, and others for the announcement of the Tishomingo County Tuition Assistance Program. The tuition assistance program funds the tuition costs for Tishomingo County students to attend Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Funded by the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors, CREATE Foundation, and Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District, graduating seniors of the Class of 2010 will be the first class to be served by the new program. To take advantage of the program, graduating seniors should meet the following requirements:
Graduate from high school by the end of May
Take the ACT before the end of June
Apply for the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant at the end of July
Complete the free application for Federal Student Aid at the end of July
Enroll in Northeast Mississippi Community College for the fall semester as a full time student.
Students must maintain a “C” average and full-time status.
Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors President James McDowell reported that the “board of supervisors understands the importance of our high school graduates. Tishomingo County’s economy depends on how well students are equipped to compete on a global scale. The board of supervisors is pleased to announce this innovative tuition program and we appreciate our partnership with the community college, the planning and development district, CREATE Foundation, and others. This program comes at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet. Their interests are our interests.”
Tishomingo County School District Superintendent Malcolm Kuykendall stated that “this funding creates a new vision for Tishomingo County students and their families, a new vision that will be passed to future generations. Education is the key to success. It is better to fund education than to build prisons.”
Northeast Mississippi Community College Board of Trustees Chairman Jack Ramsey emphasized that “this is a great day for the students of Tishomingo County. No longer can students hope to succeed with only a high school diploma. Community colleges are leading the way to the future by preparing young people and adults to not only compete but to be winners in the global economy.”
Individuals, corporations, families, and businesses are encouraged to be contributing partners of the Tuition Guarantee Program. Donors are asked to sign ten year pledge agreements and all donations are tax exempt under IRS 501C3 guidelines.
Tishomingo County Development Foundation Chairman Dan Young added that “education is not an expense but an investment, an investment that yields benefits not only to the individual but to the community and the nation. Communities are competitive in the global economy only if workers have the skills necessary for modern business and industry. We believe that Tishomingo County workers, with the help of NEMCC, can compete with workers anywhere in the world.”
Tri-State Educational Foundation of Iuka, Mississippi, offers educational grants for senior college and advanced degrees for residents of Tishomingo County at the college or university of their choice.
For more information on the Tishomingo County Tuition Assistance Program, call Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District at 662-728-6248.