Scholarships
Scholarship Information
Scholarship Applications
Scholarships
Abbott & Fenner Business Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Due: June 7, 2024
Aces for Aiden
Amount: $250
Due: April 16, 2024
AES Engineering
Amount: $500
Due: October 8, 2024
AFA’s Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship
Amount: Up to $5,000
Due: April 1, 2024
AGC of Missouri Education Foundation Scholarship Program
Amount: Varies
Due: December 31, 2024
Alyssa Faith Koch Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Amount:
Due: March 1
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Amount: $10,000 renewable
Due: December 19, 2024
American Battle Monuments Foundation (ABMF) 2024 Essay Contest
Amount: up to $10,000
Deadline: April 12, 2024
American Legion - Charles L. Bacon Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $750 (2 given)
Due: Return completed application to school counseling office by April 12, 2024
American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year Scholarship
Amount: $2,500 - $10,000
Due: March 1, 2025
A+ Program
A+ Program
The A+ Program was established by the Missouri General Assembly in 1993 in an effort to make college or vocational education available to every Missouri high school graduate. The program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend a participating community college or technical school. Additionally, some four-year Missouri colleges and universities offer an equivalency scholarship to eligible A+ students.
Further information about the state’s A+ Scholarship Program can be found on the Missouri Department of Higher Education website.
- A+ Program Handbook
- School Coordinators
- Documents and Forms
- Tutoring and Mentoring Opportunities
- Community Colleges and VoTech Schools
A+ Program Handbook
- Enrollment in the Program
- What are the Participation Requirements?
- Eligibility Requirements for A+ Tuition Benefit
- ACT and GPA Requirements
- Eligibility Report
- Attendance Requirement
- Citizenship Requirement
- Grade Point Requirement
- Tutoring/Mentoring Requirement
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid Requirement (FAFSA)
- Receipt of Funds at Participating Community Colleges and Technical Schools
Enrollment in the Program
A+ enrollment is voluntary. Students may participate in the program by completing and returning a signed Participation Agreement Form to their high school’s A+ Coordinator. The student is then confirmed as an active A+ participant.
Once enrolled in the A+ Program it becomes the responsibility of the student to meet all the requirements of the program to become eligible for the tuition reimbursement upon graduation. The A+ Scholarship is earned, and students must continually verify their eligibility for the program, turn in all tutor/mentor hour logs, and complete all requirements for eligibility. Throughout their high school years, students are encouraged to check their status in the program by contacting their building’s A+ Coordinator.
What are the Participation Requirements?
- The high school from which the student graduates must meet and maintain all the requirements for A+ Schools designation.
- State funding must be available. As with any State program, the A+ Schools Program is subject to the political process of sustaining and maintaining a budget.
- The student must meet all the criteria outlined in the A+ Schools Program and the participation agreement in which the student and parent/guardian will sign.
Eligibility Requirements for A+ Tuition Benefit
- Enter into a written agreement with your high school stating your intent to participate in the A+ program.
- Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States (as requiredby FAFSA).
- Attend a designated A+ high school for two years prior to graduation. • Graduate with a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale (non-weighted).
- Maintain a 95% or higher average attendance record for grades 9-12 (attendance average is not rounded up).
- Perform 50 documented hours of approved and unpaid tutoring and/or mentoring. 25% of hours can be obtained through job shadowing.
- Establish a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use ofdrugs and/or alcohol.
- Make a good faith effort to secure all available federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is checked by the post-secondary institution.
- Achieve a score of proficient or advanced on the official Algebra I end of course exam or attain a qualifying score on an approved standardized test.
* High School Seniors: If you meet all of the eligibility requirements except the end-of-course exam score, you may establish eligibility by achieving a combined ACT math sub-score and high school GPA in accordance with the scale on the next page. You may achieve the qualifying score as a high school or postsecondary student. If you achieve the score as a postsecondary student, you may be eligible for an award in the same term that you take the test.
ACT and GPA Requirements
Eligibility Report
By June 30 of each year, the A+ Coordinator will submit a list of the names of all graduating, certified A+ students eligible to receive financial assistance. The final high school transcripts of these students will be marked accordingly. A+ Scholarship eligibility may continue until 48 months after the graduation date documented on the high school transcript
Attendance Requirement
A+ participants are expected to attend school regularly. A+ participants must graduate with a minimum cumulative (grades 9 – 12) attendance rate of 95%. (An attendance rate of 94.9% will not be rounded.) Attendance is based upon all days when school is in regular session. It is the responsibility of each A+ participant to closely monitor his/her attendance. Please check with your A+ Coordinator to verify your overall attendance average at any time throughout your four years of high school.
The A+ Attendance Policy includes information where a student may file an appeal in cases where the absence was beyond the control of the A+ participant via a review process. Each A+ participant should read and understand the attendance policy including the criteria for filing an attendance appeal.
Final determination of A+ eligibility cannot be made until an A+ participant graduates and his/her final overall average attendance is calculated.
Citizenship Requirement
An important component of the A+ Schools Program is the fostering of good citizenship in our district's students. A student demonstrates good citizenship by showing respect for self, law, property and the rights of others. Students have not demonstrated good citizenship if, while in grades nine through twelve, they have:
- Pled guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to, received a suspended imposition of sentence or suspended execution of sentence for, agreed to a deferred prosecution for, or been convicted or found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony.
- Unlawfully used or possessed drugs, drug paraphernalia or alcohol on or off school property.
- Had an out-of-school suspension.
- Violated the district's rules governing academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating, etc.).
The following are examples of offenses that may result in removal from the A+ Program:
- Possession, use, sale or transfer of alcohol, drugs or narcotics
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Criminal activity as defined by the Safe Schools Act
- Distribution of drugs
- Possession of a weapon (under provision of Ch. 471 Mo. Revised Statutes)
- Serious sexual misbehavior/exposure
- Possession of dangerous items
- Dangerous behavior
- Other offenses as indicated by the Citizenship Review Committee
Grade Point Requirement
A+ participants must graduate with a cumulative minimum unweighted, unrounded, grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. (A GPA of 2.49 will not be rounded). The cumulative GPA will be computed over a period of four years in high 5 school. Final determination of A+ eligibility cannot be made until an A+ participant graduates and his/her final GPA is calculated.
Tutoring/Mentoring Requirement
A+ participants must perform fifty hours of unpaid mentoring/tutoring. It is important to make a plan to complete tutoring hours and see your A+ Coordinator to verify your tutoring plan is approved. Tutoring time should be documented on the official A+ Tutoring Log. This log may be turned in at any time to the A+ Coordinator who will then review and record any approved hours for the participant. Do not wait until the end of senior year to turn in all hours. If any hours are not approved, a student could find themselves lacking the total number of hours necessary to meet the requirement.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid Requirement (FAFSA)
A+ Participants and their parents are required to complete and submit the FAFSA as a good faith effort to secure all available federal post-secondary student financial assistance funds that do not require repayment. Information reported on FAFSA is required by post-secondary institutions to complete the enrollmentprocess and must be completed each year the student is enrolled at their postsecondary school.
The A+ Scholarship provided by the State of Missouri will reimburse the unpaid balance of a student’s tuition and general fees after all available, non-loan federal financial assistance, such as the federal Pell Grant (FAFSA), has been applied to their account. This may result in a zero award if the student’s Pell Grant is sufficient to cover all tuition and general fees.
Participants are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible beginning October 1st of their senior year. Students and Parents must first create their separate FAFSA IDs at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index. The FAFSA may then be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Receipt of Funds at Participating Community Colleges and Technical Schools
- In order to receive A+ financial assistance, an eligible student must:
- Make a good-faith effort to secure all sources of federal funding that could be applied to tuition reimbursement.
- Be admitted and enrolled at a participating institution on a full-time basis in accordance with the law unless the student is enrolled in all the available hours applicable to the student's program of study in a given term, the student is participating in a required internship, or the student is enrolled in prerequisite courses that do not require full-time enrollment.
- Not be enrolled in or intend to use the award to enroll in a course of study leading to a degree in theology or divinity.
- Not have a criminal record preventing receipt of federal Title IV student financial aid.
- Meet the institution's definition of satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution's policies and law.
- Meet the course completion standards as required by law.
School Coordinators
Benton & Lafayette
Stacie Nassen
c/o Lafayette HS
412 E. Highland Ave.
Saint Joseph MO 64505
Phone: (816) 671-4220
Fax: (816) 671-4480
stacienassen@sjsd.k12.mo.us
Mrs. Nassen is at Lafayette on Mondays. Her office is located in Room 210A. She is available from 7:15 AM until 3:00 PM.
Central
Lora Davison
c/o Central High School
2602 Edmond St
Saint Joseph MO 64501
Phone: (816) 671-4080
Fax: (816) 671-4088
loradavison@sjsd.k12.mo.us
Ms. Davison is available to confer with students about the A+ Program on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 7:15 AM until 2:45 PM. Her desk is located on the upper floor of the Library Media Center.
Documents and Forms
Tutoring and Mentoring Opportunities
Examples of ways to get your 50 Hours of Tutoring/Mentoring for A+ Certification at SJSD High Schools. See your A+ Coordinator to verify your plan is approved in advance.
During the School Year
- Peer Tutoring Class (Senior Level Class)
- Tutor at an elementary school after high school dismissed
- Tutor children at the Noyes Home (after school)
- Tutor or Mentor younger students in an approved community program
During the Summer
- Work at Elementary Summer School
- Tutor or Read to children at Noyes Home
- Assist with Safety Town
- Assist with the United Way Reading Program
- Assist with Prairie Lands Writing Project
Other Options
- High School sponsored Children's Clinics (Sports, Fine Arts, Etc.)
- Special Olympics
- Elementary School Carnivals
- Robidoux Resident Theater Youth Activities
- Boy Scouts
Job Shadowing
- May be counted toward the 50 hour requirement with a maximum of 12.5 hours.
Mentoring at church related activities
- May be considered with a maximum of 10 hours.
Community Colleges and VoTech Schools
A-C
- Arcadia Valley Career Technical Center (Ironton, MO)
- Boonslick Technical Education Center (Boonville, MO)
- Brookfield Area Career Center (Brookfield, MO)
- Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center (Cape Girardeau, MO)
- Career & Technology Center At Ft. Osage (Independence, MO)
- Carrollton Area Career Center (Carrolton, MO)
- Carthage Technical Center (Carthage, MO)
- Cass Career Center (Harrisonville, MO)
- Clinton Technical School (Clinton, MO)
- Columbia Area Career Center (Columbia, MO)
- Crowder College (Neosho, MO)
- Current River Career Center (Doniphan, MO)
D-H
- Dallas County Career Center (Louisburg, MO)
- Davis H. Hart Career Center (Mexico, MO)
- East Central College (Union, MO)
- Eldon Career Center (Eldon, MO)
- Excelsior Springs Area Career Center (Excelsior Springs, MO)
- Four Rivers Career Center (Washington, MO)
- Franklin Technology Center (Joplin, MO)
- Gibson Technical Center (Reeds Spring, MO)
- Grand River Technical School (Chillicothe, MO)
- Hannibal Career & Technical Center (Hannibal, MO)
- Herndon Career Center (Raytown, MO)
- Hillyard Technical Center (Saint Joseph, MO)
I-M
- Kennett Career & Technology Center (Kennett, MO)
- Kirksville Area Tech. Center (Kirksville, MO)
- Jefferson College (Hillsboro, MO)
- Lake Career & Technical Center (Camdenton, MO)
- Lamar Area Vocational/Technical School (Lamar, MO)
- Lebanon Technology & Career Center (Lebanon, MO)
- Lewis & Clark Career Center (Saint Charles, MO)
- Lex La-Ray Technical Center (Lexington, MO)
- Linn State Technical College (Linn, MO)
- Macon Area Career and Technical Education Center (Macon, MO)
- Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City, MO)
- Mineral Area College (Park Hills, MO)
- Missouri State University-West Plains (West Plains, MO)
- Moberly Area Community College (Moberly, MO)
- Moberly Area Technical Center (Moberly, MO)
N-R
- Nevada Regional Technical Center (Nevada, MO)
- New Madrid R-I Technical Skills Center (New Madrid, MO)
- Nichols Career Center (Jefferson, MO)
- North Central Career Center (Bethany, MO)
- North Central Missouri College (Trenton, MO)
- North Technical (Florissant, MO)
- Northland Career Center (Platte City, MO)
- Northwest Technical School (Maryville, MO)
- Ozark Mountain Technical Center (Mountain Grove, MO)
- Ozarks Technical Community College (Springfield, MO)
- Pemiscot County Career & Technology Center (Hayti, MO)
- Perryville Area Career and Technology Center (Perryville, MO)
- Pike/Lincoln Technical Center (Eolia, MO)
- Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center (Poplar Bluff, MO)
- Ranken Technical College (St. Louis, MO)
- Rolla Technical Institute (Rolla, MO)
S-Z
- Saline Co. Career Center (Marshall, MO)
- Sikeston Career & Tech. Center (Sikeston, MO)
- South Central Career Center (West Plains, MO)
- South Technical (St. Louis, MO)
- Southwest Area Career Center (Monett, MO)
- St. Charles Community College (Cottleville, MO)
- St. Louis Community College (St. Louis, MO)
- State Fair Community College (Sedalia, MO)
- Three Rivers Community College (Poplar Bluff, MO)
- Unitec Career Center (Bonne Terre, MO)
- Warrensburg Area Career Center (Warrensburg, MO)
- Waynesville Technical Academy (Waynesville, MO)
FAFSA
What is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
The FAFSA® is the application that students must complete to apply for federal student aid, which can be used to attend an eligible college or career school. Federal student aid includes Federal Pell Grants, federal student loans, and work-study opportunities. In addition to determining eligibility for federal student aid, many states, private organizations, colleges, and career schools rely on information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for nonfederal sources of aid. (Source: US Department of Education)
Students and parents will be able to complete the FAFSA beginning October 1, 2022 and will use prior-prior tax year information (so May 2023 graduates will need 2021 tax information). Below are the steps to take to completing the FAFSA.
AFAFSA
Step 1: Apply for an FSA ID
An FSA ID is a username and password used to access the FAFSA and will serve as your electronic signature. Typically, both the student and ONE parent will need an FSA ID. Use the links below to help assist you in applying for an FSA ID. This must be done prior to completing the FAFSA!
Apply for an FSA ID
Best Practices for Creating an FSA ID
Tips for Setting up an FSA ID
Step 2: File the FAFSA
Once the student and a parent have created an FSA ID, you will be ready to file the FAFSA. Students graduating in May 2023 will be completing the 2023-2024 FAFSA. Use the links below to assist you in filing the FAFSA. File the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. Make sure you are on the government website - DO NOT pay to file the FAFSA.
Federal Student Aid Website - Information and resources regarding Financial Aid
What information do you need to file the FAFSA?
- Student and Parent FSA ID
- Student and Parent 2021 W-2 forms and/or tax returns. Parental information is required for most undergraduate students under the age of 24.
- List of colleges the student has applied/has been accepted/is interested in attending. This way the student's FAFSA report will be sent to the financial aid office of each college and an accurate financial aid package may be awarded.
For more information on the documents you may need to file, visit the FAFSA website.