WELCOME TO
SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL’S
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
PRESENTATION
Robin L. Stimac
Student Financial Aid Manager
Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods
816-604-3068
THE A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
• The A+ Schools Program was established as part of the Missouri
Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 in order to provide incentives for
local high schools to raise academic expectations, reduce their
dropout rate, establish relationships with the business community, and
provide better pathways for students to post-secondary education.
• Students who commit to the rigorous program requirements for A+
eligibility and who graduate from an A+ designated high school (such
as Smithville) may qualify for state-paid financial incentives to assist
them with the costs of attending any public community college or
vocational/technical school or certain private two-year
vocational/technical schools in the State of Missouri.
THE A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CONT.)
You should know that:
• financial need is not a factor in determining an A+ student’s eligibility
for benefits. However, all A+ students are required to complete a Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to determine
eligibility for non-payback financial aid (i.e., Federal Pell Grant or
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) each year that
the student plans to utilize their A+ benefits.
• receipt of institutional and private scholarships will not affect an A+
student’s eligibility for benefits.
• some four year colleges and universities may also offer financial
incentives for students who meet A+ eligibility criteria. However, those
incentives are funded by the institutions themselves and not by the A+
Schools Program.
THE A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CONT.)
• As an A+ student, you are under no obligation to use your A+ Schools
Program financial incentives (but if you’ve earned them, you really
should take advantage of the benefits that have been afforded to you)!
• Financial incentives for the A+ Schools Program will be provided as
long as state funds are appropriated by the Missouri legislature.
WHAT ARE THE BASIC STUDENT
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS?
Students must:
•
be a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident or lawfully present in the U.S. and eligible to receive
Title IV aid.
•
be registered with the Selective Service (if applicable).
•
enter into a written agreement with your high school prior to graduation.
•
attend a designated A+ high school for three consecutive years immediately prior to
graduation.
Exceptions from three year requirement –
* Active military dependents
* Dependents of retired military who relocate to Missouri within one year of
retirement
Exceptions must attend an A+ high school and meet all other requirements
during the year immediately preceding graduation.
WHAT ARE THE BASIC STUDENT
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS? (CONT.)
•
graduate with an overall 2.5 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 or
higher scale. (A cumulative GPA of 2.49 will not be rounded.)
•
have at least a 95% attendance record overall for grades 9 – 12. (An attendance
rate of 94.9% will not be rounded.)
•
perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring to younger students, of
which up to 25% may include job shadowing.
•
maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use of drugs and/or
alcohol.
•
make a documented good faith effort to apply for non-payback financial aid by
completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
preferably prior to the end of the second semester of the senior year.
WHAT ARE THE BASIC STUDENT
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS? (CONT.)
•
Students graduating in the Class of 2015 & beyond must score proficient or
advanced on the state level Algebra 1 End of Course Exam or by achieving a
qualifying score on the mathematics component of the ACT test. The following table
displays the qualifying scores for the 2015 high school seniors:
Exam
Minimum Score
ACT Math Sub Score
17
COMPASS Pre-Algebra
43
COMPASS Algebra
1
WHAT ARE THE BASIC STUDENT
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS? (CONT.)
• NOTE: A student who graduates at the end of the first semester of their
senior year is eligible to receive their A+ financial incentives for the semester
immediately following their graduation, as long as the student has met all
program eligibility requirements, including filing a FAFSA for the appropriate
semester, and making sure that their official A+ high school transcript
indicates their mid-year graduation date. These students will be required to
complete and submit a separate FAFSA for the current academic year prior
to completion of the end of the first semester of their senior year in order to
be able to utilize their A+ financial incentives during the next semester.
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
•
A+ Schools Program financial incentives PAY FOR in-district or out-of-district
tuition (capped at $158 per credit hour for the 2014-2015 academic year) plus
general fees that are assessed to all students each semester
•
Your eligibility for A+ benefits expires when the earliest of the following events
occurs −
* 48 months after the graduation date documented on your high school
transcript
* Receipt of a post-secondary certificate or associate’s degree
* Completion of 105% of the required hours for the program of study in
which you are enrolled.
•
Federal Pell Grant funds will be applied to you student account balance first; if
any eligible costs remain, they will be billed to A+. In other words, you cannot
receive A+ financial incentives in addition to a Pell Grant if the Pell Grant pays
for all A+ eligible tuition and fees.
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
• How A+ is applied:
If you are receiving full tuition
through Federal/State grants,
which includes:
• Full tuition
• Standard Fees
• Individual Course Fees
No A+ benefits will be utilized
to pay for your tuition and
general fees
If you are receiving partial
tuition through Federal/State
grants, this includes:
• Partial Tuition and
Standard Fees with the
remaining balance covered
by A+ benefits
If you are not eligible for
Federal/State grants,
• A+ pays for your tuition
(capped at $158 per credit
hour)
• Standard Fees
You will be responsible for
paying for your books and
supplies (unless you qualify
for enough money in
Federal/State grants to cover
theses costs as well)
You will be responsible for
paying for your individual
course fees plus books and
supplies
You will be responsible for
paying for your individual
course fees plus books and
supplies
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
• A+ Schools Program financial incentives DO NOT PAY FOR:
 Courses taken as a visiting student except for the summer
semester immediately following the student’s high school
graduation. NOTE: These students must be enrolled full-time
(minimum 6 credit hours), have their official A+ transcript and all
college transcripts for dual credit coursework completed while in
high school sent to the A+ eligible school they plan to attend
immediately following graduation, and complete and submit a
separate FAFSA for the 2014-2015 academic year using
information from 2013 taxes as well as a FAFSA for the 2015-2016
academic year using information from 2014 taxes
 Books, supplies, miscellaneous fees, lab fees or online course
fees
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
 Repeated coursework
 Coursework taken beyond 105% of your degree requirements
* Includes all hours completed at any institution, including
developmental/remedial coursework
* Does NOT include credit hours earned before high school
graduation
 Dropped coursework or for coursework for which the student is no
longer enrolled
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
•
If you drop a course before the payment request for your A+ benefits
has been submitted to the Missouri Department of Higher Education by
the school, you immediately become responsible for paying the school
for the cost of the dropped course during the current semester. In
addition, If dropping that course reduces your enrollment to less than
full-time, you immediately become responsible for paying the school
for the entire cost of all courses in which they are enrolled during the
current semester (since you will no longer be meeting the full-time A+
Schools Program eligibility requirement).
•
If you drop a course after the payment request for your A+ benefits has
been submitted to the Missouri Department of Higher Education by the
school, your A+ benefits for the next semester will be reduced by the
costs of the dropped class.
NOTE: You should always check with the financial aid
office first before attempting to drop any class!
USING YOUR
A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
1.
Apply for Admission to any public community college or vocational/technical school
or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools in the State of Missouri.
2.
Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at
www.fafsa.gov
• Be sure to include the school where you plan to use your A+ benefits
• Both the student and a parent must request PIN Numbers at www.pin.ed.gov
• If you are planning to use your A+ financial incentives during the Summer
immediately following graduation, you must complete two FAFSAs – one for
2014-2015 and one for 2015-2016
USING YOUR
A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
• Review the Student Aid Report Acknowledgment that you will receive either by
e-mail or by regular mail as a result of filing the FAFSA
• Check to see if your application was selected for verification or if there are any
other unresolved issues that need to be addressed
• Contact the Financial Aid Office at the school you plan to attend to identify
yourself as an A+ student and to see what documentation (if any) is needed in
order for you to complete the verification process prior to high school
graduation. NOTE: A+ will not pay any financial incentives to the school on
your behalf until the verification process has been completed. For timely
processing and payment of A+ financial incentives, you are required to submit
all requested documentation as soon as possible but no later than 2 weeks after
the start of classes.
• Remember to complete the FAFSA each year that you plan to use your A+
benefits
USING YOUR
A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
3.
Have all of your academic transcripts sent to the school you plan to attend
• Request that your official A+ high school transcript which contains the A+
Certification Seal is sent to your school as soon as you graduate
• Request that all official dual credit transcripts from any colleges or universities
be sent to your school once you have completed their coursework
4.
Complete your initial Placement Testing (if applicable)
5.
Schedule an appointment to participate in a New Student Enrollment Group where
you will declare your degree plan and enroll as a regular full-time student
• 12 or more credit hours during the fall/spring semesters
• 6 or more credit hours if you plan to take classes during the summer term
USING YOUR
A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (CONT.)
6. Make arrangements to pay for the difference due for your tuition charges, your
books, supplies, miscellaneous fees, lab fees or online course fees that A+ will not
cover
7. Plan to attend New Student Welcome Activities or New Student Orientation
MAINTAINING YOUR ELIGIBILITY
FOR A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
 Only enroll in courses required for your declared certificate or degree plan
 Visit with an Academic Advisor each semester for assistance in selecting degree or
certificate related courses. Enroll full-time each semester and check with the
Financial Aid Office before dropping any classes. Full-time status will be determined
by the enrolled and attended hours at the conclusion of the last day to drop with a
50% refund (which is the end of the regular fall or spring 16 week semester, or the
equivalent ration of other sessions).
 As an initial student, remember that you must achieve a 2.5 cumulative grade point
average by the end of your initial year and meet the school’s Satisfactory Academic
Progress requirements
 As a renewal student, remember that you must have achieved a 2.5 cumulative
grade point average by the end of your initial year AND must maintain your 2.5
cumulative grade point average and meet your school’s Satisfactory Academic
Progress requirements throughout the completion of your degree
MAINTAINING YOUR ELIGIBILITY
FOR A+ FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
 If you should lose your A+ eligibility, you can get it back within your 48-month
eligibility period by re-establishing your 2.5 cumulative grade point average and/or
improving your completion rate at your own expense. (A+ will not pay for coursework
taken while you are working to re-establish your eligibility.)
 Remember that you will be required to complete a “Renewal” FAFSA and submit
any additional forms requested by the Financial Aid Office each year that you plan to
use your A+ benefits.
 Finally, when enrolling in your final semester (either your certificate or degree will be
completed or your A+ eligibility expires), visit with an Academic Advisor to assist you
with your Completion of A+ Eligibility Form.
ANY QUESTIONS???
Please feel free to contact me:
Robin L. Stimac
Student Financial Aid Manager
MCC-Maple Woods
robin.stimac@mcckc.edu
Phone: 816.604.3068
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to visit with you this evening!