Nixon announces plan to make college more affordable

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Attorney General Jay Nixon on Monday announced a higher education plan that he says would provide a way for middle-class Missouri students to earn a four-year degree tuition-free.

Nixon, a Democratic candidate for governor, said his Missouri Promise plan would create a path to a four-year degree for students who satisfy certain academic, community service and financial need requirements.

Students who complete a two-year associate's degree at a Missouri community college or technical school under the state's existing A+ Schools Program, and meet criteria, would be eligible to seek a Missouri Promise scholarship to cover college or university costs, Nixon said.

"With tuition skyrocketing at colleges and universities across the state, too many middle-class families in Missouri are getting squeezed by the cost of a college education," Nixon said in a prepared statement.

"While other states have been making college more affordable and accessible, Missouri has moved backwards. The Missouri Promise will create a pathway to a four-year degree for those families struggling to afford college tuition during these difficult economic times. We must make the dream of a college education a reality for all Missouri families."

Nixon said in order to implement the Missouri Promise, he'd expand the existing A+ program, which is currently available to only half the state's high school students.

He said he'd also offer high school seniors who plan to access the A+ program the chance to sign the Missouri Promise contract between the student and the state.

Expanding the A+ program and implementing the Missouri Promise would cost about $61 million, said Nixon, citing estimates from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Nixon said his initiative is intended to target middle-class Missouri families who can't afford college tuition. A family of four with one child in college could have an annual income of roughly $80,000 and qualify for the Missouri Promise.

Nixon outlined the plan during a news conference at the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. He also planned to announce his initiative at stops in Columbia and Kansas City later Monday.

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On the Net:

Eligibility chart for Missouri Promise:

http://www.finaid.org/calculators/scripts/quickefcchart.cgi