Missouri's scholarship program expands

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A state scholarship program designed to help students attend community college has widened to include some four-year schools.

The A-Plus program was launched in 1993 as part of the state's Outstanding Schools Act. It offers tuition assistance to students from qualified high schools holding at least a 2.5 grade point average, an attendance rate of at least 95 percent and participating in tutorial programs with other students.

Because it was planned only to assist students at community colleges and technical schools, Charles Dunlap didn't get involved in A-Plus while a freshman at Fulton High School; he knew he wanted to go to a four-year college.

But Dunlap heard things had changed and enrolled in A-Plus. He's become one of the unexpected benefactors of the program, receiving $1,000 in scholarship money each year to help him attend William Woods University.

There's no comprehensive list of the four-year colleges and universities participating in the A-Plus program, but Stephens College, William Woods, Truman State University, Northwest Missouri State University and Drury University are among them.

Unlike the community college participants, four-year schools don't offer A-Plus students full scholarships. Awards range from a discount of $60 per credit hour at Drury to a $2,000 annual grant at Northwest Missouri State.

Melody Chambers, co-director of admissions at Truman State, said other four-year schools may have experienced what her university has -- students more strongly considering a two-year college because of the incentives.

"We did see students consider junior colleges more," she said.

The A-Plus program was proposed by lawmakers in hopes of reducing the dropout rate and helping at-risk students. More than 43,000 Missouri students have participated since its inception, the state says.