August 20, 2017

Neelyville While many high school students may not be thinking about money to assist with college, Neelyville High School senior Hana-Kate Cassinger utilized an available resource through her high school. Cassinger said she decided to enroll in the A+ program because of the financial benefits and the opportunity to work with children...

Neelyville

While many high school students may not be thinking about money to assist with college, Neelyville High School senior Hana-Kate Cassinger utilized an available resource through her high school.

Cassinger said she decided to enroll in the A+ program because of the financial benefits and the opportunity to work with children.

Cassinger encourages all high school students to join the A+ program because "it allows you to receive your first two years of college paid for."

According to Neelyville A+ Coordinator Carmel Dare, about 25 percent of the senior class complete the A+ program each year from her school.

Neelyville became an A+ School in 2015 and Dare said her students can begin the process as freshmen by turning in the A+ agreement.

Dare also encourages students to take the ACT as freshmen, volunteer their time and get a summer job.

"I encourage all my students to get a summer job," Dare said. She added a job shows students can take direction and be responsible.

Beginning sophomore year, students can begin working on their 50 A+ mentoring hours.

While Dare said Neelyville does not designate time during the school day for students to mentor, they can accumulate hours before or after school by tutoring other students.

"During this time we work with elementary students on a subject they are struggling with in class," Cassinger said. "The majority of the time teachers will send work with the student to work on. A+ mentors also have the opportunity to gain hours by helping students during Saturday school."

During her mentoring time, Cassinger said she realized how much she enjoys working with students.

Junior Ashlynn Prince said she decided to participate in A+ to see what it was like to tutor a child.

"I am tutoring elementary children in the mornings," Prince said. "I help them with reading, study for a test, correct their homework and more."

Beginning Oct. 1 of a student's senior year, Dare said they can fill out their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

When filling out the FAFSA form, Dare said students will need tax information and data from nearly two years back.

"For example, seniors this year will be using 2015 data," Dare said.

During senior year is when students will also begin the application process to colleges and universities.

"I really can't emphasize enough how fabulous the A+ program is for all students," Dare said.

She added many of her students who plan to go straight to a four year university still take advantage of A+ money by using it for summer classes.

"I have students who are attending Southeast Missouri State University use A+ since it is accepted at the Sikeston, Kennett and Malden campuses," Dare said.

She also added A+ can be used at vocational schools, not just two year colleges.

"I believe the A+ program is an extremely educational and influential program for both the mentors and the students," Cassinger said.

Twin Rivers

When Haley Price sets out to accomplishing something, she does. In what takes many students months to complete, Price completed her A+ mentoring hours in just two weeks to secure money to assist with cost of college.

The summer after her freshman year Price mentored students during two weeks of summer school at Twin Rivers.

At the end of the two weeks, Price accumulated 79 hours towards A+ mentoring hours. Only 50 hours are required to complete the A+ program.

Now as a junior at Twin Rivers High School, Price has already completed all her A+ requirements.

Once Price graduates, she will have almost a year worth of college credits from the vo-tech school in Poplar Bluff. She plans to attend Three Rivers for computer maintenance once she graduates.

According to Twin Rivers A+ Coordinator Anna Whitlow, about 80 percent of her students who are planning to attend a two year school are A+ eligible.

Even if a student is planning to attend a four year university, Whitlow described A+ as an "insurance policy" or it can be utilized during the summer through a two year school.

Holden Morse, co-salutatorian for Twin Rivers 2017 class, encourages all students to complete the A+ program because of the "chunk" that is taken out of college expenses for the first two years.

Morse is attending the Green Diesel Program through Three Rivers in Dexter.

"A+ can provide anyone with a good head start into their college career," Morse said. "Even if someone thinks college may not be for them, it can still be useful to give them an experience of college without having to sink a large amount of money into it."

Twin Rivers has been an A+ school since the mid 90s, assisting students with the opportunity to attend college.

According to Whitlow, she can still make a senior A+ eligible as long as they have the time to get in the mentoring hours.

She added students are even able to retake their end of course math exams after graduation in order to score better to become A+ eligible.

"Any student can complete the A+ program," Whitlow said. "You do not have to be an honor student and it is obtainable for anyone."

Whitlow said one of the biggest misconceptions of A+ is that it's for honor students. To be eligible for the program, a C+ average is required and also applies to not only traditional schools, but also technical schools.

"A+ allows students to feel like they can go to school," she said.

During freshman orientation, Whitlow begins the A+ explanation process and requirements such as having at least a 95 percent attendance record overall through high school, attend a designated A+ high school for three years immediately prior to graduation and achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the Algebra I end of course exam or a higher level DESE approved end of course exam in the field of mathematics.

Whitlow has also constructed a 30 minute A+ tutoring class for students before being placed with a student to gain their mentoring hours.

Items discussed during the class include confidentially, how to work with the students and options if students are still struggling after tutoring.

"A lot of life lessons and empathy come with tutoring," Whitlow said.

Price added she has considered going into the teaching field and thought tutoring would help her decide.

Tanner Watson, a 2017 graduate of Twin Rivers, is attending Three Rivers with A+ money this fall.

"Teachers and administration encouraged me to be a teacher due to my interacting with the kids, however I still plan to go into the medical field," Watson said.

Choosing to complete the A+ program was a simple one for Watson.

"I knew the A+ program would help me pay for my college," he said.

He also added attending an A+ accepting college will help decrease student debt while still getting the education students want.

"Now that I am a legal adult, I have more responsibilities which means more to pay for in the future," Watson said. "Having A+ will allow me to have extra money in my pocket that would have went to college."

Price echoed Watson by saying A+ money helps ease future worries she may have when it comes to student loans.

"It's a free ticket to college," she said.

The financial benefit is what Morse said drew him to the A+ program as well.

"The program is simple to complete, anyone can and should complete it," he said. "The program has helped me to pursue classes that interest me and will help me in the career of my choice after college."

Advertisement
Advertisement