McRae: MPACT is Open for the 2025-26 Season
By Treasurer David McRae
The last few weeks have been about new routines in our household, as the kids returned to school for the 2025-26 academic year. While they prepared for a new season of sports, music, and friendships, the Treasury team and I prepared to launch into another MPACT enrollment season.
For those unfamiliar, MPACT stands for the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program. In short, it allows parents and grandparents to lock in today’s tuition rates and prepay a child’s college costs. Unlike our MACS plan (which is available year-round and functions more like an education savings account), MPACT has a limited enrollment period. This school year, families may enroll from September 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026.
The advantages of MPACT are clear. According to the Education Data Initiative, tuition and fees have risen by 181 percent over the past two decades. By investing in an MPACT plan, families can shield themselves from future tuition hikes, creating predictability and financial security.
When I first entered office, however, MPACT’s financials were on shaky ground. The Legacy plan was just 72 percent funded, and some suggested a taxpayer bailout. As a fiscal conservative, I knew Mississippi families deserved a better solution. We restructured the program’s investments and restored solvency. Today, I’m proud to say MPACT is more than 100 percent funded – without asking taxpayers to shoulder the burden.
MPACT works especially well for families who anticipate sending their child to one of Mississippi’s excellent four-year universities, although the plan can also be used for community colleges, private institutions, and out-of-state schools.
For even broader options, MACS (or Mississippi Affordable College Savings) remains an outstanding tool. Not only can MACS funds be used for tuition and fees, but they can also be applied to apprenticeship programs, laptops, tools, homeschool materials, and more.
The reality is simple: in today’s economy, education and training beyond high school are more important than ever. By putting funds aside now, families can provide opportunity, stability, and peace of mind for the future.
If you’d like to learn more about MPACT, please visit treasury.ms.gov/mpact or call our office at (601) 359-5255. Our team would be honored to help you take the first step.
To all of Mississippi’s students, parents, and teachers: I wish you a bright and successful year ahead.
Mississippi Treasurer David McRae is the 55th Treasurer for the State of Mississippi. In this role, he helps manage the state’s cash flow, oversees College and Career Savings Mississippi, and has returned more than $140 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov.
