Missouri A+ Program
Missouri A+ Program
What are the steps for receiving A+ Program Funding?
The A+ Program provides tuition and student fees for qualified students. To qualify, students must meet all requirements established by MDHE, including minimum grade point average (GPA), attendance, tutoring, and good citizenship standards.
Steps for Receiving A+ Program Funding
- Apply for admission to OTC at http://www.otc.edu and complete all steps in the Admissions process.
- Be degree-seeking at OTC.
- Be a United States citizen.
- Have your official A+ stamped high school transcript on file with the Admissions Office at OTC. A graduation date must be documented on the high school transcript for A+ eligibility.
- Complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.gov for the current academic year and list OTC as a school to receive the information.
* To complete a FAFSA go to http://www.fafsa.gov/; OTC's Federal School Code is 030830
* 2012 - 2013 FAFSA required for enrollment in FALL 2012 - SPRING 2013 - SUMMER 2013
* 2013 - 2014 FAFSA required for enrollment in FALL 2013 - SPRING 2014 - SUMMER 2014 - Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) at http://www.fafsa.gov to see if your FAFSA was selected for verification by the Department of Education. If your FAFSA application is selected for verification by the Department of Education, A+ will not pay until verification is complete.
- Enroll as a full-time degree seeking student. (Visiting students are not eligible for A+ incentives at OTC.)
12+ credit hours - fall semester; 12+ credit hours - spring semester; 6+ credit hours - summer semester - To defer your billing of eligible tuition and fees to the A+ Program you must enroll in MyPay MyWay each semester after you register for classes.
- To stay eligible for A+, you must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 as well as meet the requirements of the established Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
**If a student is eligible for federal financial aid that does not require repayment (such as the Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), or Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant), those funds will be applied to the student's account first. Any eligible tuition and fees not covered by federal grant funding will be billed to the A+ Program. Any expenses not paid by the A+ Program, or other financial aid, will be collected by MyPay MyWay at a later point in the semester from the authorized account you establish when you enroll in MyPay MyWay.
A student cannot receive a full Pell Grant and A+ Program funding simultaneously.
How much will A+ pay?
For students NOT eligible for Federal Pell Grant
Items covered by A+ Program
Fall 2013
| Items covered by A+ program | In-District Rate | Out-of-District Rate |
| Rate of Tuition | $92.00/credit hour | $130.00/credit hour |
| Common Technology Fee | $6.00/credit hour | $6.00/credit hour |
| Common Student Fee | $13.00/credit hour | $13.00/credit hour |
| Total | $111.00/credit hour | $149.00/credit hour |
| Amount to be paid by A+ for 12 credit hours | ($111 x 12 hours) = $1,332 A+ Dollars | ($149 x 12 hours) = $1,788 A+ Dollars |
Federal Pell Grant funds PAY FIRST. A Student cannot receive A+ in addition to a Pell Grant if the Pell Grant pays for all A+ eligible tuition and fees. This means Pell pays first towards tuition and common fees before paying miscellaneous fees on any other educational expenses such as books. This could result in an A+ payment being reduced to zero (Example #2). If Pell grant funds do not cover A+ tuition & common fees (Example #1), then A+ will pay for the remaining amount of your A+ eligible tuition & common fees.
For students eligible for Federal Pell Grant*
Items covered by A+ Program
Fall 2013
| Example #1 | Example #2 | |
| Items covered by A+ program | In-District Rate | Out-of-District Rate |
| Tuition | $92.00/credit hour | $130.00/credit hour |
| Common Technology Fee | $6.00/credit hour | $6.00/credit hour |
| Common Student Fee | $13.00/credit hour | $13.00/credit hour |
| Total | $111.00/credit hour | $149.00/credit hour |
| ($111 x 12 hours) = $1,332 A+ Dollars - (Less) Federal Pell Grant - $1,000 Pell Dollars |
($149 x 12 hours) = $1,788 A+ Dollars - | |
| Amount to be paid by A+ for 12 credit hours | $332 A+ Dollars | $0 A+ Dollars |
Items not covered by the A+ Program:
All other fees not listed above * Books and Supplies * Dropped coursework * Repeat coursework
If your Federal Pell Grant exceeds the cost of tuition & common fees,your Federal Pell Grant will apply to the remaining balance of charges with the College as determined by the Cashier. Cashier Services will determine if a credit balance is due and if so, process a refund to your SmartCard. To view student account balance information, check your QuickPay account in AccessOTC.
When will A+ pay?
Eligible A+ students who submit their FAFSA and supporting information (if requested) to the Financial Aid Office prior to the deadline for the semester should be awarded approximately 5 weeks after classes begin. Students who apply for financial aid after the deadline may still receive assistance, but should anticipate a delay in awards. Monitor AccessOTC Quikpay activity for payment.
If your FAFSA was selected for verification, you MUST complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification process by providing any requested documentation to the Financial Aid Department at OTC before A+ will pay. Please refer to your MyOTC Access Tab "Financial Aid Notifications."
What are the A+ program deadlines?
A+ stamped high school transcript must be received no later than:
FALL November 1
SPRING April 1
SUMMER July 1
A+ students must ensure OTC has received his/her 2013-14 FAFSA and submitted all required documentation no later than:
FALL September 30
SPRING January 31
SUMMER June 1
How do I view my A+ award?
To view the financial aid awards, log in to MyOTC>Access Tab>Financial Aid Status by Term. Initially, the A+ scholarship is posted at an estimated amount. The amount posted here will not change. Once A+ goes to an accepted status, your next step is to monitor your QuickPay to see the actual award amount. Two things must happen before your A+ can pay:
- Full-time attendance must be verified (12 or more credit hours-fall and/or spring; 6 or more credit hours-summer.)
- If you are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours through the end of the 100% tuition refund period, you have met the program's full-time requirement for the term. If you are enrolled in a second eight week block (B Block) class, attendance in your B Block class must be verified before those credit hours apply towards your full-time requirement.
- Verification of your federal financial aid file (FAFSA) must be COMPLETE.
- Check "Financial Aid Notifications" to see if you have been selected for verification. If so, the items needed to completed your federal financial aid file will be listed.
Will A+ cover the cost of online classes?
Yes! The A+ program covers the cost of tuition and common fees for online classes; however, the program does not cover the "course specific" online course fee charged for each online course taken. Click here for current information pertaining to the online course fee.
Mid-Year High School Graduate / Early Leaver
Mid-year HS graduates a/k/a Early Leavers are required to complete all steps for receiving A+ program funding. The Missouri Department of Education A+ policy requires a student who is an early leaver to provide the college with a transcript which includes their graduation date. That date must be prior to the term in which the first A+ eligibility begins. Official means the transcript has a graduation date.
Monitor Your AccessOTC for Emails and Notifications
If your FAFSA application was selected for verification by the Department of Education, you MUST complete the FAFSA verification process. Check "Financial Aid Notifications" to see if you have been selected for verification. If so, the items needed to complete your federal financial aid file will be listed.
A+ program funds will NOT pay until verification is COMPLETE. For timely processing and payment of financial aid files, please submit all required documentation as soon as possible but no later than 4 weeks after the start of class.
A+ Important Information
A+ Program Details
Disclaimer
If OTC receives an inaccurate high school transcript, the student will be liable for costs associated with any semester of enrollment in which A+ payment was applied or anticipated. An example of an inaccurate transcript would be erroneously A+ stamped and/or marked transcript received from the high school.
This information is accurate as of December 2012. The information contained herein is subject to change as per changes in state law, statutes, rules, and/or guidelines.