By Senator David Blount

District 29

I would like to begin by thanking the voters of Senate District 29 in Hinds County for their support in the Democratic Primary on August 8th. I am honored to be the Democratic nominee for the general election.

We still have very important elections coming up in November, including a competitive Governor’s election, the District Attorney, and other offices. Please make it a habit to inform yourself of the candidates and to vote in every election.  If you are not registered or have moved and not updated your registration to your new address, please contact Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace at his office at the courthouse.

With a new school year underway, I want to promote an innovative Mississippi program that can help someone earn a college degree to possibly get a better job and better support their family.  

Many people start college but don’t graduate with a degree. That’s why Mississippi started an innovative program called Complete 2 Compete.  A collaboration between the Institutions of Higher Learning (our eight public universities) and Mississippi’s community colleges, Complete 2 Compete removes barriers to degree completion for adults who have earned some college credit without graduating.  

Since the program launched in 2017, 3,502 Mississippians have earned their degrees from a university or community college and 1,264 are currently enrolled to graduate.  In some cases, a person may have already earned enough university credit to qualify for an associate degree from a community college.  The program puts adults back on the track to becoming a college graduate.

If you or someone you know may be interested in this program, the requirements are:

Is 21 years of age or older,

Has attended a public college or university in Mississippi,

Has earned at least 12 hours of college credit but has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree, and

Has been out of college for at least two years.

Tuition and fees for enrollment in future courses may be assessed according to the established tuition and fee schedule at each institution.

I am very proud of the work university and community college staff are doing through Complete 2 Compete to enable more Mississippians to earn a post-secondary degree.  If you know someone who earned college credit without completing a degree, please encourage them to visit www.msc2c.org to learn how they might benefit from this program.

Thank you gain for the opportunity to serve the people of Hinds County.  If I can help you or your family, please contact me by email (dblount@senate.ms.gov) or by calling my office at the Capitol (601-359-2220).  I am also on Facebook and Twitter (@sendavidblount).