2022 State Aid Recertification

In compliance with the regulations on institutional eligibility for participation in the state student financial assistance programs, approved institutions must be recertified every three years. The recertification process applies to institutions previously approved in accordance with the requirements specified in Section 173.1102(2)(3), RSMo.

 

All institutions currently participating in the state student financial assistance programs are certified through September 2022.   For students at your institution to continue to receive state student financial assistance, the recertification process must be complete, including Coordinating Board for Higher Education approval, by September 2022. The following timeline was developed to ensure this deadline is met.

 

Timeline

  • April 29, 2022 – All application materials due
  • June 15, 2022 – Coordinating Board for Higher Education action
  • June-July 2022 – Institutions notified of board action
  • September 2022 – Institutional recertification effective for next three years (until September 2025)

 

Recertification Process Goals

  • Review institutional compliance with MDHEWD policies

  • Update institutional state aid portfolios

  • Collect additional data elements and information necessary for program administration

 

Application Materials

 

Application

Institutions wishing to apply for recertification of their participation in one or more of the state student financial assistance programs must complete the application in its entirety.

 

Participation Agreements

In the past, institutions were required to complete two participation agreements, both with original signatures of the chief executive officer or an authorized designee, for each program in which they wish to participate. With the electronic recertification process, institutions may submit only one signed agreement. Although the signed agreement may be submitted electronically, the signature must be original, or stamped by authorized personnel, before it is scanned. Electronic signatures are not acceptable. Once Commissioner Mulligan has signed the agreement, MDHEWD will retain the original and will return a copy to the institution.

 

For the participation agreement to be complete, it must include the institution’s name and the signature and printed name of the chief executive officer or designee. If the agreement is signed by a designee, documentation of the designation must accompany the agreement. Acceptable designation documentation includes a designation letter signed by the institution’s CEO, or a policy, bylaw or other demonstration of authority. Designation documentation may be submitted only once if there are multiple agreements signed by the same designee.

 

The Resources section below provides links to information about, and the participation agreement for, each program. MDHEWD’s website has a program participation chart if you are unsure of your institution’s current program participation.

 

Agreements for programs in which the institution currently participates will be effective for the 2022-2023 academic year. However, since processing for the 2022-2023 academic year will be in progress at the time the Coordinating Board for Higher Education recertifies institutions, participation in any programs added to an institution’s existing portfolio will begin with the 2023-2024 academic year.

 

The Marguerite Ross Barnett Scholarship is no longer funded. As a result, this program is not included in this recertification cycle. However, the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant is now included.

 

Participation in the A+ Scholarship Program, as well as any programs subsequently assigned to the department for administration will be handled individually. In addition, participation in the Advanced Placement Incentive Grant is conditional on participation in either the Access Missouri Student Financial Assistance Program or the A+ Scholarship Program, or both. Likewise, participation in the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment scholarship is conditional on institutional approval to participate in the state aid programs. As a result, separate participation agreements for the Advanced Placement Incentive Grant and the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship are not required.

 

Submission

To apply for recertification, you must return the completed application materials, including the applicable participation agreements and U.S. Department of Education Eligibility and Certification Approval Report (ECAR), no later than April 29, 2022.

 

You may submit the materials electronically to kelli.reed@dhewd.mo.gov.

 

You may also mail them to:

Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

Attn: Kelli Reed

PO Box 1469

Jefferson City, MO 65102-1469

 

If the materials are submitted electronically, it is not necessary to follow up with a mailed hard copy.

 

If your institution will no longer participate in any of the state student financial assistance programs, notify Kelli Reed at kelli.reed@dhewd.mo.gov. No further action is required.

 

Resources

Information about each program is available in the revised statutes of Missouri (RSMo), the administrative rules found in the code of state regulations (CSR) and MDHEWD’s website. All of the administrative rules are available in a PDF document of Chapter 2 – Student Financial Assistance Program of the Code of State Regulations. The individual citations are provided below for each program to assist you in finding the appropriate page in that chapter’s table of contents.

 

 

Questions

You may direct any questions to Kelli Reed at kelli.reed@dhewd.mo.gov or 573-751-2444.