National Guard SEAP scholarship; require MS Office of Student Financial Aid to administer payment to institutions.

HB 1624 would transfer administration of Mississippi National Guard SEAP scholarships from the National Guard to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. The bill requires the National Guard to certify scholarship recipients and their institutions to the financial aid office, which would then pay institutions directly. Starting in 2027, the legislature would appropriate funds to cover the office’s costs for managing these scholarships instead of the National Guard. The bill affects Mississippi National Guard members receiving SEAP scholarships and the state’s public universities. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.