Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Community college leaders are pushing a plan to pay costs not covered by existing financial aid for recent high school graduates who enroll full time.

The House Universities and Colleges Committee passed House Bill 424 Wednesday, sending it to the House Appropriations Committee. That committee must also act before the full House would take it up.

For a 75,000-student system, paying everyone's tuition might sound like a budget buster, but officials say it will cost less than $4.5 million a year. Local governments and private donors are already running such plans in 20 of Mississippi's 82 counties.

Federal Pell Grants typically cover the average $2,400-a-year tuition, plus books, at the state's 15 community colleges for the poorest students. State grants contribute $500 a year for students with a 2.5 GPA.