1 / 38

Sliding into Home with the A+ Scholarship Program

Sliding into Home with the A+ Scholarship Program. Kelli Reed Missouri Dept. of Higher Education. Agenda. Budget Policy Development Policy Highlights A+ in FAMOUS Next Steps. Play Ball!. Budget. 2010-2011 $25.3 million – estimate for “full” funding $22 million initially appropriated

isla
Download Presentation

Sliding into Home with the A+ Scholarship Program

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Sliding into Home with the A+ Scholarship Program Kelli Reed Missouri Dept. of Higher Education

  2. Agenda • Budget • Policy Development • Policy Highlights • A+ in FAMOUS • Next Steps

  3. Play Ball!

  4. Budget • 2010-2011 • $25.3 million – estimate for “full” funding • $22 million initially appropriated • $3.5 million supplemental appropriation • 2011-2012 • $30 million – Governor’s recommendation • $22 million core appropriation • $8 million new funds appropriated • Both require legislative approval/action

  5. The Opening Pitch Policy Development

  6. MDHE Policy Development • Administrative rule drafted based on input from a wide variety of sources: • Prior DESE A+ program requirements • Requirements of other MDHE programs • A+ Work Group • CBHE’s State Student Financial Aid Committee • MCCA A+ coordinators • Institutional financial aid personnel

  7. MDHE Policy Development • Draft rule posted to MDHE’s website in early January for comment • Comments received concerned: • Partnerships • Funding shortfalls • Algebra I EOC • Cap on number of hours reimbursed • Reimbursement of repeat coursework • Reimbursement of dropped coursework • Participation by private institutions

  8. Color Commentary with Kelli Policy Highlights

  9. Responsibilities of Participating Institutions • Participation agreements required • Collection of high school transcript with A+ seal • Verification of full-time enrollment • At least 12 credit hours unless: • 6 hours for summer • 6 hours for ADA • Student is enrolled in all available hours • Student is enrolled in an internship • Student is enrolled in pre-requisite courses

  10. Responsibilities of Participating Institutions • Verification of good-faith effort to secure federal funding • Valid FAFSA • Minimum of dependent info if parents refuse to provide their info • FAFSA Forecaster for students that attend a non-Title IV institution

  11. Responsibilities of Participating Institutions • Verification of satisfactory academic progress for renewal students • 2.5 cumulative GPA • Otherwise defined by institutional policy • Verification aid is applied to tuition and fees correctly • Pell • Other federal aid • A+

  12. Partnerships • Intent to encourage institutional collaboration within A+ boundaries • Agreement must include at least 1 A+ eligible institution • If only 1 A+ eligible institution, that institution must consider the student to be enrolled full time • If more than 1 A+ eligible institution, enrollment may be combined to equal full time • Partnership institutions must provide MDHE with any requested documentation

  13. Partnerships • Reimbursement only made for coursework actually delivered by an A+ eligible institution

  14. High School Eligibility Criteria • Same as DESE except: • Dependents of retired military who relocate to Missouri within one year of retirement are exempt from 3-year attendance at a designated A+ high school (statutory revision from 2010 session) • 50 hours of tutoring/mentoring may include up to 25% job shadowing • Score of proficient or advanced on Algebra I end of course exam • Completion of 12 college hours with GPA of 2.5 in first semester may be substituted

  15. College Eligibility Criteria • Student must be admitted as a regular student • May be reimbursed for summer immediately following completion of secondary coursework even if attend a non-A+ institution in fall • Transfer students from non-A+ institution to A+ institution are eligible • Visiting students are ineligible

  16. Award Policy • Disbursement by federal payment period • Semester for credit hour schools • Tuition = Clock hour rate x number of clock hours in the payment period for clock hour schools • 1st payment period = 450 clock hours (1/2 of 900 hour AY) • 2nd payment period = 450 clock hours • 3rd payment period = remaining hours if less than 450 = ½ of remaining hours if 450 or more • 4th payment period = ½ of remaining hours if 450 or more

  17. Award Policy • Eligibility to expire at earliest of: • 48 months from completion of secondary coursework • 105% of the hours required for the student’s current program of study • Receipt of an associate’s degree • Institutions responsible for tracking

  18. Award Policy48 Months • Enrollment does not have to be immediately following completion of secondary coursework • Enrollment does not have to be continuous • Delays or interruptions in enrollment result in students receiving the scholarship for less than 48 months • Military deferment extends eligibility for length of deferment beyond the 48 months

  19. Award PolicyCompletion of 105% of Program • Includes all known hours earned anywhere • General Education hours • Major/minor hours • Developmental/remedial hours • Elective hours • Internship hours • Dual credit hours • Based on current program of study if student changes majors or enrolls in a higher level certificate

  20. Award PolicyReceipt of Associate’s Degree • Students with an associate’s degree from any institution, including out-of-state and non-A+ institutions, are ineligible • Students with a baccalaureate degree cannot be reimbursed for a subsequent associate’s degree

  21. Award Policy • Reimbursable Coursework • Completed coursework required for the student’s degree or certificate for which a standard grade is assigned • Remedial coursework • On-line coursework • Pass/fail coursework that is degree-creditable • Coursework for a higher level certificate or associate’s degree in a field related to the original certificate

  22. Award Policy • Non-Reimbursable Coursework • Coursework not required for the degree or certificate • Elective internships • Repeat coursework • Coursework after receipt of a certificate if it isn’t related to the original certificate • Coursework for which a non-standard grade was assigned • Incomplete • Withdrawn

  23. Award Policy • Award Calculation: Tuition (hours x rate) and fees • Pell • Other federal aid • Amount paid but not eligible for reimbursement from previous semester A+ reimbursement

  24. Award Policy • Award amount subject to legislative appropriation • If funding is insufficient for payment of tuition and fees, • MDHE will limit number of hours to be reimbursed or • Take other measures informed by public comment and approved by the CBHE

  25. Award Policy • Certification deadlines for summer, fall and spring • Students eligible in the current academic year cannot be paid in the upcoming academic year

  26. The New Equipment Manager A+ in FAMOUS

  27. A+ in FAMOUS • A+ eligibility information added to student records at time of certification, similar to Ross • 2 ways to request funds: • Spreadsheet upload into FAMOUS • Manual entry directly in FAMOUS • Multiple requests allowed per semester • Same warrant and return processes as Access, Bright Flight and Ross

  28. A+ in FAMOUS • General information collected includes: • High school graduation date • Program of study • Total hours for program of study • Total accumulated hours • Whether associate degree has been received • EFC

  29. A+ in FAMOUS • Award-related information collected includes: • Number of reimbursable hours • Credit hour rate for the number of reimbursable hours • Fee amount • Pell amount • Other federal aid amount • Amount of deduction for coursework not completed in the previous semester • Requested award amount

  30. A+ in FAMOUS • Information provided in FAMOUS includes: • Number of deferment months • Semester net award (all disbursements less all returns)

  31. A+ in FAMOUS • Schools are responsible for: • Maintaining eligibility documentation • Calculating award amounts • Ensuring award reduced by cost of incomplete coursework for previous semester • Adjusting awards/returning funds when needed • Tracking 105%/48 months/receipt of associate’s degree • Ensuring coursework for a higher level certificate or degree taken after receipt of a certificate is in a related field

  32. A+ in FAMOUS • Clock hour schools responsible for: • Calculating clock hour rate (Tuition/total clock hours in program) • Requesting funds by federal payment period

  33. 7th Inning Stretch Next Steps

  34. Next Steps • 30-day public comment period to begin April 1 • Rule effective approximately 6 months after initial filing • Summer 2011 processing planned through FAMOUS • File layout to be provided by July 1 • Project to be complete August 15

  35. Bringing it Home

  36. Questions? General Questions Missouri Dept. of Higher Education 205 Jefferson Street P.O. Box 1469 Jefferson City, MO 65102 Phone: (573) 751-2361 Fax: (573) 751-6635 Info. Center: (800) 473-6757 info@dhe.mo.gov www.dhe.mo.gov A+ Specific Questions Kelli Reed Student Assistance Associate (573) 751-2444 kelli.reed@dhe.mo.gov Amy Haller Program Specialist (573) 526-7958 amy.haller@dhe.mo.gov

More Related