HCS#2 HB 1812 -- ACCESS MISSOURI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

SPONSOR:  Kingery

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Higher
Education by a vote of 11 to 0.

Currently, students at public four-year institutions, including
Linn State Technical College, and private institutions receive a
maximum amount of financial assistance awards of $2,150 and
$4,600 respectively from the Access Missouri Financial Assistance
Program.  Beginning with the 2014-2015 academic year, this
substitute combines the categories for these schools into one
with a $2,850 maximum and a $1,500 minimum award and increases
the maximum award for community colleges from $1,000 to $1,300.
Any award amount will be reduced by the amount of a student's
payment from the A+ Schools Program or any successor program.

Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, the substitute
revises the grade required for renewing an Access Missouri award
from a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) on a four-point scale to
maintaining satisfactory academic progress for those scholarship
recipients who have less than 60 semester hours, while retaining
the 2.5 GPA for those with 60 semester hours or more.
Satisfactory academic progress is to be defined by the
institution of attendance but cannot be lower than a 2.0 on a
four-point scale.  The substitute clarifies that the required GPA
for the renewal of other assistance programs will continue to be
2.5.  In order to award the additional scholarships as a result
of the revised GPA requirement, award amounts will be refigured
within the annual appropriation amount.

The substitute repeals the current expiration date of the Access
Missouri Financial Assistance Program and specifies that any
provisions regarding a termination date will not apply to the
program.

The substitute contain an emergency clause for the provisions
regarding the revised requirements for renewing an award.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the Access Missouri Program is a
needs-based scholarship in which 29% of the recipients receive
52% of the funding because of the distinction made in award
amounts based on the type of college attended.  No other publicly
funded aid program rewards a student for choosing a more
expensive college.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Kingery; University
of Missouri-Columbia; Missouri Southern State University; Wally
Pfeffer, Mizzou Alumni Association; Denise Boyd, MU Parents'
Association; Associated Students of the University of Missouri;
Amanda Shelton, Missouri Students Association; Gary Smith,
University of Missouri Flagship Council; Evan Wood; Hannah
Teague; and Missouri National Education Association.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that in the two former
programs that were combined to establish the Access Missouri
Program, students at private institutions received 64% of the
total amount.  Private colleges offer more choices and
individualization that can help first-generation college
students.

Testifying against the bill were Robert Stein, Commissioner of
Higher Education; Marianne Inman, Central Methodist University;
Elizabeth Stroble, Webster University; Minda and Catherine Cox;
Kayla Kell; Austin Sailors; Misty Todd; Kathleen Daily; Angelica
Randall; James Kelley; Caroline Slavin; Cameron Ayres; Matthew
Tegg; Kristen Withrow; Michelle Arnold; Marcy Greenwade; Jamie
Mayberry; Isaac, Brian, and Cathy Thompson; Lisa VerPloeg; Caleb
and Beth McElvain; and Lindenwood University.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say state support for
higher education declined by half in the last decade.

Testifying on the bill was Joshua Travis.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:12 pm