A Plus Schools
Kathy Moss
A+ Coordinator
417.859.2120
kathy.moss@marshfieldbluejays.org
What is the A+ Schools Program?
The A+ Schools Program is a school-improvement initiative established by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. The program is raising academic standards, opening new doors to higher education and introducing students to the teaching profession through tutoring and mentoring activities. Missouri’s A+ Schools program is a benefit to schools, students and communities.
Students who qualify are eligible for tuition and general fees paid (up to 105% of a degree program) at a Missouri community college or technical school. The students’ eligibility period lasts 48 months after high school graduation.
Marshfield High School received A+ designation by the Missouri State Board of Education in the spring of 1999. Since that time, 763 Marshfield graduates have qualified for the A+ incentive (98 graduates in the class of 2010).
Student Eligibility Requirements
Students who graduate from a designated A+ School may qualify for state-paid assistance (tuition and qualifying fees) to attend any public community college or technical school in the state. Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement:
• Attend a designated A+ School for three consecutive years prior to graduation
• Graduate with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Graduate with at least a 95% attendance record
• Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring
• Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoidance of the unlawful use of drugs and alcohol
Everyone Benefits!
Missouri's A+ Schools program is a win-win situation for schools, students, and communities. The program encourages students to stay in school, make career plans, tutor other students in school, and graduate with the skills and knowledge required for career success or further education.
Interested? See the A+ Coordinator to sign up today!
Missouri A+ High Schools
One of the A+ requirements is to attend an A+ high school for 3 consecutive years before graduation. You must be a student within that high school no later than September 1st of your sophomore year to qualify. If you must transfer to another high school within Missouri, there are currently 364 designated A+ high schools in Missouri (as of May 2010). Below is a link to the most recent listing of those schools (this link is provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and may not be active at all times):
http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/aplus/designated/A+desigschools.html
Community Colleges/Technical Schools Accepting A+ Funds
If you're looking for colleges accepting A+ funds for tuition and general fees, here's a link to those schools:
http://dhe.mo.gov/documents/EligibleAPlusPostsecondarySchools.pdf
Click here to view the attendance requirements and appeals process.
Common Questions About the A+ Program
Q: When can students join the A+ program?
Students may join any time during enrollment in high school as long as they are still able to meet the eligibility requirements.
Q: When can a student begin tutoring?
As soon as possible! See the A+ Coordinator to set it up. Freshmen may tutor after school or during summer school following their freshman year, Sophomores and Juniors may tutor after school or during summer school, Juniors and Seniors may tutor after school or may enroll in the Mentoring class during the school day. STAR mentors may log hours toward A+ tutoring.
Q: What are the guidelines for tutoring? Where may tutoring activities be performed?
Tutoring should be academic in nature and always supervised by district staff and held within the school district. Tutoring may be for students younger, older or the same age as the student and may be performed before, during or after the school day or during summer school.
Q: Does a student qualify for A+ incentive funding if his/her high school GPA upon graduation is less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and/or the student’s cumulative attendance rate is less than 95%?
No. The A+ Schools Program does not permit rounding up of the GPA percentage. The average attendance rate must be figured over a four-year
period and must be a solid 95% or higher.
Q: Are students eligible for A+ incentive funds when they transfer from one high school to another?
The law requires a student to complete three years immediately prior to graduation in a designated A+ high school. This can be a combination of
schools as long as the schools involved are A+ designated high schools. The high school which the student exits and the high school the student enters
both must be A+ designated high schools in order for the student to be eligible for A+ funds upon graduation.
Q: Can a student who during high school enrolls in classes for dual credit be reimbursed through the A+ Schools Program for the post-secondary credit?
No. A student’s eligibility becomes effective following high school graduation.
Q: Is a student required to submit a federal financial aid application (FAFSA) before A+ incentive funds are available to the student for tuition and general fees?
Yes. The law governing the A+ Schools Program requires all students to make a good faith effort to first secure all available federal sources of funding
that could be applied to the reimbursement of tuition and general fees assessed all full-time students.
See Mrs. Moss in room 203 if you need another copy of the checklist of things to do to use A+ at a college or another copy of the Spring A+ Newsletter.
Seniors who qualify for the A+ Certificate will be recognized at the Honors Ceremony at the end of the year. Seniors who are below the requirement on GPA will not be recognized on that day, but will be notified as soon as final grade point averages are calculated.
Seniors must have all tutoring hours turned in no later than May 11th.
Click here for the list of colleges/universities offering scholarships to A+ graduates with direct links to their web sites.
Click here for scholarship information at OTC for books and fees.
Click here to go directly to the FAFSA website.
Click here to go directly to the FAFSA PIN website and order a PIN for both the A+ senior and a parent. (A PIN allows you and your parent to sign the FAFSA electronically and process your FAFSA quickly.)
