June 11, 2015
JACKSON, Miss. – “I would like to provide clarity around the Education Scholarship Account application process. The purpose of the July 1-10 window is to expedite the enrollment process so that eligible children can receive the benefit of the scholarship as early as possible. The MDE wanted parents to know, prior to the start of school, the status of their applications. Based on our staff and resources, we had to prepare for the possibility of more than 400 application submissions.
As announced, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until 50 percent of the annual enrollment is met. All remaining eligible applicants will be placed on a waiting list, and a random selection process will then be used to choose the recipients of the remaining scholarships.
We will process applications as they come in so that we can notify parents as quickly as possible even though state law allows for 21 days for a response. As we receive applications that are incomplete or missing information, we will attempt to contact parents to inform them of missing information so they can have an opportunity to resubmit their applications.
MDE’s procedures were established to ensure equity and that everyone had a fair opportunity to have access to the scholarships. We always strive to make decisions in the best interest of students.”
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR
Communications Specialist
601-359-3519