JEFFERSON CITY — Students in Missouri have a new option to help them pay for college courses during their junior and senior years of high school. The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) has a new state financial aid program to reimburse students for the cost of dual credit and dual enrollment courses. The application for the scholarship went live today, and high schools have been notified of the application opening.
Beginning this semester, the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment (DC/DE) Scholarship will help cover the tuition and fees for students who meet program eligibility criteria. Awards will be prioritized based on financial need, determined by adjusted gross income from the most recent tax year.
Dual credit coursework is a college-level course taught by a high school instructor to high school students who are simultaneously earning both high school and college credit for the course. Dual enrollment coursework is a college-level course taught by postsecondary faculty to high school students who are earning college credit and may be earning high school credit, for the course.
“We are excited to help fund students taking college courses during high school,” said Zora Mulligan, commissioner of higher education. “Taking the courses early may give students the motivation to enroll in college after high school, and this scholarship may help students who otherwise would not have been able to afford those classes get a head start.”
To be eligible for the DC/DE Scholarship, students must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average, have attended an A+ designated high school for at least two years, and be meeting the A+ Scholarship’s good citizenship and avoidance of the unlawful use of drugs and alcohol requirement.
All awards are subject to funding availability. The priority deadline for the scholarship is Tuesday, Feb. 1. Students who file an application by that date will be the first to be evaluated for an award. Students who qualify but apply between Feb. 1 and the final deadline of April 1 will be evaluated as funding permits. For the fall 2022 semester, the priority deadline will be Oct. 1, with the final deadline as Dec. 1.
Semester award amounts are based on the actual tuition and fees charged for the dual credit or dual enrollment coursework after all non-loan aid, such as a dual credit or dual enrollment scholarship from a postsecondary institution or third party, is applied. If students are taking dual credit or dual enrollment courses from more than one approved college or university, they can receive the scholarship at each one.
Students can submit the scholarship application online and learn more at https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/aplusdcdeforstudents.htm
High schools and organizations interested in promoting the scholarship can learn more at https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/APlusDCDE.php
During the 2019 Legislative Session, the General Assembly and Governor Parson signed legislation establishing the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship program linked to the A+ Scholarship program. Although the program was enacted in 2019, it was not funded until FY 2022. Although eligibility and funding are tied to A+, after a public comment period in fall 2021, the department decided to remove A+ from the name of the new scholarship in order to help avoid confusion between the two programs.
The A+ Scholarship still remains active, with a separate funding line in the state budget. More than $50 million in A+ Scholarship funding was awarded to 14,809 during the 2020-2021 academic year.
About the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development: The department works to empower Missourians with the skills and education needed for success. More information about MDHEWD can be found at https://dhewd.mo.gov or on Facebook and Twitter @MoDHEWD.