Equalization of Access Missouri Scholarship passed by House

Missouri college students in private schools will lose nearly half of the money they can receive in a state need-based scholarship under a bill passed by the House. Under the legislation, students in four-year schools would receive up to $2,850 through the program whether they attend a public or private institution. Two-year community college students would receive up to $1,300. The bill covers lower-income students who qualify under federal income standards. Currently, private school students that qualify get up to $4,600, while those who attend four-year public schools can receive up to $2,150. Two-year community college students currently receive up to $1,000 under the program. The bill also would allow students to renew their Access Missouri scholarship if they held a grade point average at 2.0 or above. Currently, students must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA for all four years to keep the scholarship. The House ultimately passed a revised approach that would postpone the implementation date for equalizing the difference between funds available for public and private school students until the 2014-15 school year. The passed version also removes the current expiration date for the program.