State Financial Aid Programs: Missouri provides a variety of financial assistance programs to help students and their families pay for college. These programs require students to be legal Missouri residents and United States citizens, or eligible non-citizens. State assistance may not be used to pursue a degree or certificate in Theology or Divinity.

Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program: This is a need-based program designed to provide students with a simplified financial aid process, provide predictable, portable awards, and increase access to a student's school of choice.  Need is determined by the student's expected family contribution (EFC) as calculated through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year, the Access Missouri program replaces the Charles Gallagher Student Financial Assistance and Missouri College Guarantee programs.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible for initial or renewed assistance you must:

• Have a FAFSA on file by April 1, 2007,
• Have any corrections made to that FAFSA by July 31, 2007,
• Be enrolled full-time at a participating Missouri school,
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress, *
• Have an EFC of $12,000 or less, and
• Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

* For the 2007-2008 academic year, you must meet your school's satisfactory academic progress requirements.  For the 2008-2009 academic year and each year thereafter, you must achieve a 2.5 cumulative grade point average to be eligible for the program.

How much can a student receive?

Award amounts are based on the type of school you choose to attend.  Contact your financial aid office or the MDHE to see if you are eligible and to learn the amount of your award.  You may transfer your eligibility to any participating school, but the award amount will be based on the type of school you are attending when you receive the award.  Awards are not available during the summer terms.

How can a student apply?

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 each year.  The MDHE receives electronic FAFSA records for Missouri residents from the federal government.

You must reapply and have your eligibility re-evaluated each year.  This means that if you fail to file a new FAFSA by the deadline or your EFC increases to a point above the eligibility cutoff (currently $12,000), you may no longer be eligible for an Access Missouri award even though you received one the previous year.

Bright Flight Scholarship:This merit-based program encourages top-ranked high school seniors to attend approved Missouri postsecondary schools. To be eligible, a student must:

• Have a composite score on the ACT or the SAT in the top 3 percent of all Missouri students taking those tests.
• Be a graduating high school senior who enrolls as a first-time, full-time student at an approved Missouri post secondary school.
• Be a Missouri resident and a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

ACT/SAT Scores
Qualifying ACT or SAT scores must be achieved on national test dates or approved special test dates. Scores from other tests, such as residual tests administered by colleges, cannot be used. If high school seniors have taken the ACT or SAT as juniors or sophomores, those scores are acceptable as long as they are qualifying scores when the students are seniors.

Home-schooled students, or those who have obtained a certificate of high school equivalence by passing the GED examination, are eligible for consideration. Eligible students must receive the scholarship during the academic year immediately following their senior year in high school or the completion of high school equivalence to maintain eligibility.

The scholarship may be renewed annually for up to 10 semesters or until the student has completed a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first. To renew, a student must:

• Continually attend school full time (excluding summer terms) and continually receive the scholarship award at an approved Missouri postsecondary school.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.

How much can a student receive?
The annual scholarship award of $2,000 is distributed to eligible students in two payments of $1,000 per semester.

How can a student apply?
The Missouri Department of Higher Education(MDHE) will receive students' approved Missouri college or university choices from their ACT or SAT assessment records along with their ACT and SAT composite score(s). Eligible students will receive approval letters from the MDHE. To be eligible, a student must achieve a qualifying composite score by the June ACT and SAT test dates. A renewal student's eligibility must be determined annually by the approved institution at which the student plans to attend full time.

Missouri Teacher Education Scholarship: This scholarship was designed for students who plan to be teachers after graduation. The student must score in the top 15% on his or her ACT or SAT. The student must also be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States and must be a Missouri Resident. If the student does not teach after graduation, he or she must repay half of the scholarship amount at 9.5% interest.  If you are interested in more information regarding this program please visit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's website at www.dese.mo.gov.

Marguerite Ross Barnett Scholarship:This scholarship was established for students who are employed while attending school part time. To be eligible, a student must:

• Be enrolled at least half-time but less than full-time at a participating Missouri postsecondary school.
• Be employed and compensated for at least 20 hours per week.
• Be 18 years of age,
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school.
• Be a Missouri resident and a United States citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
• Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

Scholarships can be renewed annually until a student has obtained a baccalaureate degree or has completed 150 semester credit hours, whichever comes first. Awards are not available during summer terms.

How much can a student receive?
The maximum annual scholarship amount is the least of:

• The actual tuition charged at the school where a student is enrolled part time.
• The amount of tuition charged to a Missouri undergraduate resident enrolled part time in the same class level at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
• The student's demonstrated financial need.

How can a student apply?
Submit a completed scholarship application to Avila and a FAFSA to the federal processor by April 1 prior to the upcoming academic year. You can obtain an application from the student financial aid office.

• Enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full time undergraduate student at a participating Missouri postsecondary school.
• Less than 24 years of age (applies to dependent children only).
• Maintaining satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school.
• A Missouri resident and a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Not pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

A student must also provide documentation and an authorized signature from the governmental entity that employed the deceased or disabled person. However, this signature is not required for renewal applicants.

How much can a student receive?
The maximum annual grant amount is the least of the

• Actual tuition charged at the school where the student is enrolled full time OR
• Amount of tuition charged to a Missouri undergraduate resident enrolled full time in the same class level and in the same academic major at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

How can a student apply?
Grant applications are available each spring and can be obtained by downloading them from www.dhe.mo.gov or contacting the MDHE. There is no application deadline; however, early submission of the completed application is encouraged.

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full time undergraduate student at a participating Missouri postsecondary school.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school.
• Be a Missouri resident and a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

The student must provide a qualified medical certification by a Department of Veterans Affairs medical authority to verify that toxic chemical exposure contributed to or was the cause of the veteran's death. Grants may be renewed annually until a student has obtained a baccalaureate degree or has completed 150 semester credit hours, whichever comes first. Grant awards are not available during summer terms.

How much can a student receive?
The maximum annual grant amount is the least of the

• Actual tuition charged at the school in which the student is enrolled full time OR
• Average amount of tuition charged to a Missouri undergraduate resident enrolled full time in the same class level and in the same academic major at the Missouri public four-year, regional institutions.

How can a student apply?
Grant applications are available each spring and can be obtained by downloading them from this website or contacting the MDHE. There is no application deadline; however, early submission of the completed application is encouraged. You may also download the application from the link below.

Other Financial Aid Programs:

There are other types of Financial Aid available through the state of Missouri.  For more information on these programs please visit the Missouri Department of Higher Education Website (MDHE) at www.dhe.mo.gov.