Opportunities for Missouri high school students will expand through changes to the state's A+ Schools program after lawmakers passed legislation loosening requirements for the A+ Scholarship.
House members voted 136-5 last week to pass the measure, referred to as House Bill 1744. The bill currently awaits final authorization from the governor's office before the changes take effect.
If the bill becomes law, it would remove a requirement that students attend a qualifying high school in the state for at least three years immediately prior to graduation in order to be eligible for the scholarship. Students would only be required to enroll in a qualified high school for three years at some point before graduating.
The A+ Scholarship provides funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who choose to attend a participating Missouri public community college, vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.
Frankford Republican Rep. Jim Hansen says his bill is needed for students who move, take a leave for medical reasons or attend foreign exchange programs that interrupt their schooling.
A+ Coordinator for Poplar Bluff Schools, Barbie Hon, said she doesn't see the changes greatly impacting local students, as most Missouri public schools are currently A+ qualified.
"I have a small percentage of A+ students that don't transfer from an A+ School late in their high school years," Hon said.
Three Rivers College Director of Financial Aid Regina Morris said a similar impact will be felt at the college level.
"I don't believe that will have a significant impact for Three Rivers. Under current law students now have to attend an A+ eligible high school from grades 10-12 and if this is passed, they would have to attend for three years from grades 9-12," Morris said.
According to Hon, many public four-year universities recognize the A+ Scholarship, but may award money under a different name. It is important to note, she continued, A+ funds may not be used to pursue degrees or certificates in theology or divinity.
Hon said as soon as students enter high school, she goes out of her way to ensure they and their parents are aware of the program's benefits.
"I try to convince everyone who is eligible to do it because you never know what may happen," Hon said. "I've had kids and parents call me after graduation and say 'Hey, can I still get that scholarship?' Nope, it has to be done by graduation."
According to Morris, approximately 630 TRC students benefited from the A+ Scholarship during the 2016-17 academic year, which saw a fall enrollment of 3,505 and 3,071 in the spring.
"A+ is designed for students to come out of high school, go into a community college and get a two-year degree," said TRC Verification Specialist Will Dougherty, who assists Morris in the financial aid office. "As long as the coursework they're taking follows their program, whichever one it may be, we should be able to use A+ money to cover tuition and fees."
Dougherty said even at the college level, there are requirements a student must fulfill to continue receiving his or her A+ funds.
"You're considered an A+ student because you excelled in high school and that's expected at the college level as well," Dougherty said.
Among those requirements are maintaining at least a 2.5/4 grade-point average and full-time student status, which means taking 12 or more credit hours each semester or six hours during the summer.
"They also have to complete them," Dougherty added. "I have some students go through and have something happen that results in them dropping classes. They can lose their A+ if they don't meet that completion requirement."
The A+ Scholarship pays up to $166 per credit hour at a participating Missouri community college, which means at TRC, a students tuition and associated common fees are covered. The common fee contributes to the general upkeep of the institution, including parking lot maintenance and online portals, Dougherty said.
While tuition and common fees are paid for with A+ funds, Dougherty added, a student will incur additional expenses pertaining to textbook rental, housing and other miscellaneous fees relative to his or her individual needs.
Morris said students who participate in the A+ Schools program are required to submit a Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), an A+ official high school transcript and must enroll in an approved degree seeking program prior to the start of term.
"For the initial semester, we go ahead and disperse the A+ funds but a returning student must keep the cumulative GPA per guidelines set by MDHE (Missouri Dept. of Higher Education)," she said.
Dougherty said year after year, he sees more than simply financial benefits for students associated with A+.
"Students who may not have other types of financial aid can work and based on their own merit can receive the A+ scholarship," he said.
"You're building a spirit of excellence within," Dougherty continued. "I see it as something a student could put on their resume. Other than that, it does allow a student to receive a two-year degree and keeps the student from having to take out additional loans and save scholarships to use at their four-year college."