A Mississippi House bill that would provide for free college and technical school tuition for foster youth passed the House Education Committee Thursday with a unanimous vote.

Bipartisan House Bill 1313 would provide funding to cover all tuition, fees, and room and board for youth who were in the custody of Child Protective Services at or after their 14^th birthday.

“It is the least we can do for these kids that have already been through so much,” Bennett said in the hearing.

The “Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program Act” will, if passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. Tate Reeves, enable up to 150 new recipients per year to attend approved postsecondary educational institutions or public workforce training programs, until the program reaches a maximum of 900 scholarship recipients.