Scholarships shrink in need-based program

Scholarships shrink in need-based program

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is handing out smaller scholarships to college students receiving aid through the need-based Access Missouri program. Higher Education commissioner Robert Stein said that's because the number of qualified students requesting the scholarships has grown but the amount of available money has not. Scholarships for the new academic year are 22 percent smaller than they were for the 2008-2009 school year. The Department of Higher Education said students attending two-year public schools will get $780 from Access Missouri. Those attending four-year public institutions will get $1,680, and students at four-year private schools will get $3,590. Students with higher incomes but who still qualify and those who qualify for other scholarships will receive less money.