The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
Mississippi’s public community and junior colleges are Mississippi’s best educational buy. An education at Mississippi’s community and junior colleges is affordable and accessible to all. Mississippians have an option to attend a community or junior college close to home, with smaller class sizes and at approximately one-half (1/2) the cost of tuition at a public four-year institution;
In recent fiscal years, appropriations for community and junior colleges have not kept pace with increases appropriated to Grades K-12 and the institutions of higher learning;
A need exists to provide adequate funding for Mississippi’s community and junior colleges; and
Adequate funding should be accomplished through appropriate funding on a full-time equivalency (FTE) basis.