An A+ Opportunity to Fund Your College Education
If you graduated from a Missouri A+ designated high school, you're in luck! The A+ program will pay your tuition and fees at St. Louis Community College as long as you enroll full-time within 48 months after graduation from high school (students serving in any branch of the U.S. armed forces can defer their eligibility beyond the 48 months if they return to full-time student status within 12 months of the end of their military service).
The benefits are paid for by the State of Missouri after any federal or state grants for which you are eligible is applied.
You may use your A+ until you have completed 105 percent of the hours required for the program in which you are currently enrolled or you complete a degree or certificate, whichever occurs first.
105% includes the following:
- Developmental/remedial courses taken at STLCC.
- All known hours, including developmental/remedial hours, taken at any other A+ eligible institution.
- Hours taken at any non-eligible A+ institution, including out-of-state institutions that STLCC accepts in transfer.
- Coursework that is part of a higher-level certificate or degree taken after receipt of a certificate, if it is related to the original certificate
105% excludes the following:
- Hours earned for work completed before high school graduation (dual credit, dual enrollment, technical education articulation, advanced placement, international baccalaureate).
- Hours from a non-participating institution not accepted in transfer by a participating institution.
These benefits are paid forby the State of Missouri after any federal or state grant for which you are eligible is applied.
How A+ Works at STLCC:
If you are receiving full tuition through Federal/State grants**, this includes:- Full tuition
- Standard fees
- Individual course fees †
- Partial tuition with the remaining tuition balance covered by A+ benefits
- A+ pays standard fees
- A+ pays tuition
- A+ pays standard fees
A+ student pays:
- Books and supplies
- Individual course fees †
- Books and supplies
- Individual course fees†
- Books and supplies
** Based on the results of the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).
Per hour cost includes tuition, activity fee and technology fee; you are responsible for books and individual course fees† (i.e., lab, studio fees, clinical, other fees assessed to students in a variety of specialized programs.
Funding for the Student Financial Incentives portion of the A+ Schools program is the sole responsibility of the State of Missouri. The A+ Schools Program may provide these educational incentives subject to state funding approval.
Coursework not covered by A+:
- Courses from which a student withdraws or receives a grade of ‘I’ (incomplete) or ‘PR’ (progress re-enroll). If you withdraw from a course after the semester has begun, your A+ funding will be reduced for the current semester by the amount charged for the withdrawn course(s), and you will be responsible for payment. Adjustments due to grades of ‘PR’ or ‘I’ will be made at the end of the term.
- Repeat coursework will not be reimbursed. Repeat coursework is defined as any classes for which a student has been assigned a grade under the institution’s standard grading policy.This does not include courses from which the student withdrew or received a grade of ‘I’ or ‘PR.’
To be eligible for assistance at STLCC you must meet the following requirements:
- Apply for admission as a regular student
- Submit a final high school transcript with the A+ seal/stamp to the Admissions/Registration office
- Forward any previously earned college credit transcripts to the Admissions/Registration office and complete a Request for Evaluation of Transfer Credit form available at the Admissions/Registration office
- Enroll and attend full-time at STLCC (12 credit hours for fall and spring; six credit hours for summer)
- Seek a degree at STLCC - you are not eligible if you already have an associate degree or baccalaureate degree
- Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity
- Make a good faith effort to secure all available federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (STLCC considers the summer semester part of the prior academic year.)
Once an STLCCstudent:
- Maintain a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and satisfactory academic progress
- Complete and submit an STLCC Academic AuditForm each semester (See the Financial Aid office for more information.)
- Complete a FAFSA for each year attending
Students who fail to meet A+ eligibility requirements will no longer be processed for A+ funding. It is the responsibility of the student to notify STLCC for reinstatement after the student has regained eligibility.
Beginning in 2015, high school students who do not meet the Algebra I end of course requirement may gain eligibility by completing the first semester at STLCC with a minimum of 12 hours and a 2.5 grade point average.
STLCC Important Dates to RememberStudents planning to use A+ funds must have their financial aid file completed by the following deadlines to avoid having to prepay tuition and fees:
Fall Term
Spring Term
Summer Term / June 30
Nov. 30
April 30
If you attend any A+ designated school within the state and need more information about the A+ program, contact your high school guidance counselor.
To learn more about the A+ program and to view a current list of participating high schools, visit Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationA+ Program.