Reports - Mississippi Renewal

THE GOVERNOR’S COMMISSION REPORT | 127Higher Education■ The Institutions of Higher Learning(IHL) and the State Board forCommunity and Junior Collegesshould use existing funds to createthe Advanced Partnership for HigherEducation (APHE), a partnershipbetween the University of SouthernMississippi, Mississippi Gulf CoastCommunity College, and PearlRiver Community College designedto meet the educational andeconomic development needs of theGulf Coast. APHE’s purpose wouldbe to foster new levels of collaborationto promote economic development,design new degree programs,integrate current degree programs,and improve the cost-effectivenessof higher education on the Coast.■ Community Colleges have requestedfederal appropriations to offsetproperty tax and tuition revenuelosses. About one-fifth of the budgetsof community colleges on theCoast are dependent on local taxsupport.■ IHL and the Governor’s Office haverequested federal appropriations toprovide financial tuition assistanceto homeless/displaced postsecondarystudents. Students who have experiencedgreat financial loss wouldnot otherwise be able to continuetheir education. MDE estimatesthat at least 25 percent of studentsin higher education on the Coastpostponed college plans after thehurricane and 7,500 college studentswere displaced or homeless.Congress appropriated $200 millionto the U.S. Department of Educationto assist institutions of highereducation and students. These fundsshould be appropriated carefully.■ IHL and MDE should expand dualKatrina cost the state school systemthree-quarters of a billion dollars.Estimate Cost of:School Bus ReplacementSchool Repairs/ReconstructionFurniture/Equipment ReplacementTechnology ReplacementTextbook ReplacementInstructional MaterialsTOTALenrollment opportunities. Dualenrollment allows high school studentsthe opportunity to gain collegeand high school credit for thesame course. This will alleviate futurefinancial burdens for studentswho desire to attend post-secondaryinstitutions.Workforce Development$9.4 million$321.2 million$22.5 million$40.7 million$39.6 million$235 million$668.5 millionSources: Mississippi Department of Education.■ The state should utilize high schooland community college vocationalcenters at night for skilled constructionlabor training centers. TheGovernor’s Office should requestreimbursement for these expendituresfrom the U.S. Department ofLabor grants.■ IHL and MDE should collaboratewith the state legislature and theU.S. Department of Labor to offerfree tuition for students in coursesof study in industry-identified areasof need.■ The Mississippi Legislature shouldcreate tax incentives for employersto hire students in career and technicalprograms.■ Community colleges and universitiesshould expand “English as asecond language” community programsto integrate Hispanic citizensinto the Coast community.