38 Miss. Code. R. 3-5.1
A. Academic School Year - Three (3) quarters
or two (2) semesters of a twelve (12) month school year.
B. Actuarial Assessment - An additional
Contract amount assessed by MPACT to preserve the actuarial soundness of the
Trust Fund.
C. Administrative Fees
- Fees, listed in Chapter 10, which are either build into contract pricing or
assessed to the MPACT Contract Purchaser upon application for enrollment in the
MPACT Program; upon making changes in the ordinary services provided under the
MPACT Program; or upon making changes in MPACT Contract information provided to
the State Treasurer. Administrative Fees include any other fees designated as
administrative by the State Treasurer. Administrative Fees are nonrefundable
and are deducted from Contract payments before calculation of the Redemption
Value.
D. Application - A request
for enrollment in the MPACT Program, made on the official Application form or
made by completing the online Application accessible on the MPACT
website.
E. Application Processing
Fee - Fee, specified in Chapter 10.02, paid by the MPACT Contract Purchaser
upon Application for enrollment in the MPACT Program.
F. Cancellation - Voluntary discontinuation
of the Purchaser's Contract and voluntary discontinuation of the Qualified
Beneficiary's right to receive benefits under an MPACT Contract, when requested
by the Purchaser, so long as the Purchaser has provided at least thirty (30)
days written notice to the MPACT Program and has submitted all applicable
Administrative Fees.
An MPACT Contract may also be Involuntarily Cancelled for any of the following:
1. Purchaser fails
to make payments pursuant to the Master Contract and/or the Participation and
Payment Schedule; Purchaser fails to make a Contract payment within forty-five
(45) days of the first Contract payment due date.
2. Contingent Purchaser - Person who is named
by the Contract Purchaser on the MPACT Application or subsequent request, who
will assume all duties and responsibilities of the Contract Purchaser in the
event of the Contract Purchaser's death. The Contingent Purchaser must meet the
same eligibility requirements as the Contract Purchaser.
G. Contract Purchaser - Any adult person,
corporation, trust, charitable organization or other Entity eligible to
purchase an MPACT Contract, and who is obligated to make MPACT Contract
payments and Administrative Fee payments in accordance with the MPACT Contract.
MPACT Contract payments may be made by someone other than the designated
Contract Purchaser.
H. Current
Tuition Value - Weighted average of undergraduate In-State Tuition and
Mandatory Fees at four-year Postsecondary Institutions for university
Contracts; and the weighted average of In-State Tuition and Mandatory Fees at
two-year Postsecondary Institutions for community college Contracts.
I. Disability of the Purchaser - A disability
as defined in the applicable rules, regulations, and guidelines of the Social
Security Administration.
J.
Disability of the Qualified Beneficiary - A disability which, based on the
findings of a qualified health care professional, and on approval of these
findings by the Board, renders the Qualified Beneficiary incapable of
participating in postsecondary education.
K. Enrollment Period - Any period designated
by the Board in which Applications for enrollment in the MPACT Program will be
accepted by the State Treasurer.
L.
Entity - A trust corporation (including an IRC 501(c)(3) organization) or other
types of entities with a valid TIN, a custodian under Mississippi Uniform
Transfers to Minors Act or similar provisions adopted by another state
("UTMA/UGMA") with a valid Social Security Number or TIN, or a state or local
government agency which meets the federal and state legal requirements
governing the MPACT Program.
M.
Independent/Private In-state Postsecondary Institution - Any in-state
regionally accredited private four (4) or two (2) year college located in
Mississippi.
N. In-state Tuition
Rate - The standard undergraduate tuition rate charged to a student who meets
the in-state residency requirements established by the Board of Trustees of
State Institutions of Higher Learning or the individual school attended by the
student. The instate tuition rate does not include specialty courses of study
if the specialty course's tuition rate exceeds the postsecondary Institution's
standard undergraduate tuition rate. See Rule 9.2.
O. IRC § 529 - Section 529 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (As Amended).
P. MACS Program - The Mississippi Affordable
College Savings Program.
Q.
Mandatory Fees - Fees required as a condition of enrollment for all students
attending the Postsecondary Institution in which the Qualified Beneficiary is
enrolled and to which the Trust Fund payments will be made on behalf of the
Qualified Beneficiary. Those fees which are unique to a particular student or
group of students such as lab fees are not considered to be mandatory. The term
"Mandatory Fees," as used herein, does not include charges for books, supplies,
room, or board, even if the Postsecondary Institution attended by the Qualified
Beneficiary requires all students to pay such charges. Additionally, the term
"Mandatory Fees" does not include application entrance fees paid to
Postsecondary Institutions when the Qualified Beneficiary applies for
enrollment, or orientation fees.
R.
Master MPACT Contract - The legal document which specifies the terms and
conditions of the MPACT Program.
S.
MPACT Contract (Contract) - Refers collectively to the MPACT Application, the
Master MPACT Contract, the Rules, Regulations and Procedures, and the
Participation and Payment Schedule. Additional documents relating to the MPACT
Contract, issued or received by the State Treasurer, and pursuant to the
various terms and conditions described, will be incorporated into the MPACT
Contract.
T. Official Change Period
- The first sixty (60) days after the first Contract payment due date. During
this period the MPACT Contract Purchaser may submit a written request for
approval of changes in MPACT Contract terms, conditions, or information. Such
changes may include, but are not limited to, changes in the Participation and
Payment Schedule; changes in information provided on the MPACT Application, the
Master MPACT Contract, or on other MPACT documents; changes in payment method;
and similar types of requests. Changes may be made outside of an Official
Change Period only with the approval of the State Treasurer or his/her
designee.
U. Out-of-State
Postsecondary Institution - Any out-of-state regionally accredited private four
(4) or two (2) year college, or an out-of-state regionally accredited,
state-supported, nonprofit four or two year college.
V. Participation and Payment Schedule - The
document, prepared by the MPACT Program, which defines the frequency, duration,
and due date of MPACT Contract Payments, based on information provided by the
Purchaser on the MPACT Application.
W. Postsecondary Institution - An accredited
public educational associate of arts or baccalaureate degree-granting
Postsecondary Institution, or a private independent associate of arts or
baccalaureate degree-granting college or university, or an out-of-state
associate of arts or baccalaureate degree-granting college or
university.
X. Projected Enrollment
Year - The Academic School Year following the Qualified Beneficiary's projected
high school graduation and is the earliest date for utilization of MPACT
Contract benefits without written approval from the State Treasurer, subject to
the provisions of Chapters 9.02, 9.03, and 9.05 herein. The Projected
Enrollment Year is established based on information provided by the Purchaser
on the MPACT Application.
Y.
Qualified Beneficiary - An individual who meets all Beneficiary eligibility
criteria as specified in Chapter 7.00 and who is designated by the Purchaser of
an MPACT Contract to be the recipient of MPACT Contract benefits. All
references to the Contract Beneficiary within these Rules, Regulations and
Procedures assume that the Beneficiary meets the Beneficiary eligibility
requirements of MPACT, and is, therefore, a Qualified Beneficiary.
Z. Qualified Tuition Plan - A college savings
plan operated by a state or an instrumentality of a state that qualifies under
IRC § 529. QTP's may also be called "529 Plans." The Board has established
two qualified programs: the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition
(MPACT) Program and the Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS)
Program.
AA. Redemption Value - The
amount refunded to a Purchaser will include but not be limited to
the amount paid in and an additional amount in the nature of interest at a rate
that corresponds to the prevailing interest rates for savings accounts provided
by banks and savings and loan associations. The Board may impose
reasonable charges for such withdrawal or refund. All relevant Administrative
Fees, including, but not limited to, Cancellation Fees, Termination Fees and
Account Maintenance Fees, will be deducted from Contract payments before
calculation of the Redemption Value.
BB. Resident - A person who has established
legal residence in the State of Mississippi, that is, the place where the
person actually resides with the intention of remaining there indefinitely or
of returning there permanently when temporarily absent. A Beneficiary is
considered a Resident for purposes of Tuition regardless of the Beneficiary's
residence on the date of enrollment in a Postsecondary Institution. This
provision only applies to nonresident Beneficiaries if (a) the original
Purchaser was the parent, grandparent or legal guardian of the Beneficiary; or
(b) the Beneficiary was a resident of Mississippi at the time the Contract was
purchased.
CC. Rollover - A
transfer between QTP's, as allowed under IRC § 529.
DD. Scholarship, Partial Scholarship or Full
Scholarship - Grants, gifts, or other financial aid awarded to a Qualified
Beneficiary in an amount sufficient to pay a portion or all of the same
benefits as are guaranteed under an MPACT Contract. A loan is not considered a
scholarship.
EE. Termination -
Involuntary discontinuation of the Purchaser's MPACT Contract and involuntary
discontinuation of the Qualified Beneficiary's rights to receive benefits under
an MPACT Contract. An MPACT Contract may be Involuntarily Terminated for any of
the following reasons:
1. The Purchaser or
Beneficiary has made a material misrepresentation of information;
2. The Purchaser or Beneficiary has provided
false information to the MPACT Program;
3. The Purchaser has requested or accepted
any form of compensation, fee, commission, service charge or any other form of
payment or remuneration for entering into a Contract for the benefit of a
nonresident Beneficiary;
4. Such
other reasons as the State Treasurer may reasonably impose.
FF. UTMA or UGMA - The Uniform
Transfer to Minors Act or the Uniform Gift to Minors Act.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.