A+ Dual Credit / Dual Enrollment Scholarship Public Comments

I attended the MASFAP workshop this morning for High School Counselors, during which Ms. Landrum touched on the state’s new A+ scholarship for DC/DE students. I asked a question that she was not sure how to answer and instructed me to send an email with the question to make sure that it would be added to the list of those being brought up later on during the development process.

I can easily access records of who is taking classes through my HS as DC students. However, we often have students who take college classes as Dual Enrolled students outside of the normal school day. Because the enrollments, classes, and credits do not involve us at the high school, we have no record, or even knowledge, of these. How would we verify these for the purpose of this scholarship when the college/university through which the student is taking the course is the only one with record of it?

While I have you, I will add a couple of other concerns/questions that I have to make sure they are on any kind of list you might be compiling during the public comment period as well!

- Many of my students will not have met the Algebra 1 EOC standard (especially next year’s seniors, many of whom will have a COVID exemption for that EOC) and will need to meet that standard via the ACT alternative… but students are waiting longer and longer to take the ACT (partly, I think, due to ACT’s issues during COVID but also for other reasons that I can’t quite put my finger on), so most of my Junior DC students (and, sadly, many of my seniors) won’t even have an ACT score on file, much less one meeting the benchmark for that requirement. Requiring students to have already met that specific eligibility requirement may have a very negative effect on the number of students who might otherwise qualify for the scholarship.

- The proposed January 31st priority deadline is concerning to me as well. Typically, the college DC enrollment deadline isn’t even until well after that date, so it would be incredibly difficult to get an accurate list of my enrolled DC students by that date. I understand, however, that a balance will have to be struck between all of the various deadlines at the HS, college, and state level for the multiple steps of the process.

- I’m curious about the timing of the disbursement of the funds: Are the funds going to be released to the colleges PRIOR to the students paying their bills, so that students won’t even get a bill? Or will the college be reimbursed and then have to turn around and cut a reimbursement check to the students?

- A small number of my students choose to enroll in DC only if they know that their tuition will be completely covered (such as waivers provided by MSSU or MSU); will there be any way for a student to know if they would for sure qualify for this scholarship prior to enrolling in DC? On a similar note, will there be students who CANNOT qualify for the scholarship because their family’s AGI is too high?

I don’t expect you to be able to address all that right now; I just want to bring up the topics for potential discussion throughout the process. I really appreciate your time, help, and all the work I know you’re putting in to try to make this whole thing work!

When asking the school to notify students who are not eligible or chosen for the scholarship, it makes it seem like the school is the party that is deciding who receives the scholarship and who does not. Since MDHEWD will have the contact information for the students who apply, they should be the ones who notify the applicants to tell them if they will receive the scholarship or not since they will be the ones who have final say in eligibility or who is selected based on funds and number of applicants.

Furthermore, asking school counselors to add another non-counseling task to their plates will take time away from implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. We will be taking on even more work as dual credit coordinators, as we will be required to collect and send data on each applicant from our school in addition to all of the forms we already have to collect and send for students enrolling in dual credit, when this type of clerical work does not fit in with the recommended comprehensive school counseling program and would be a barrier to implementation of the CSCP. Many of us do not have secretaries or registrars who would send this information for us.

What is the point of using these funds for low income students when those students typically have their tuition covered by institutions? Our low income students already receive scholarships from our dual credit institutions so they do not need to apply to use these A+ funds.

Calling it A+ will highly confuse people - it makes it seem like they are using their two years of A+ scholarship during their Junior and Senior year of high school when they are taking dual credit, whereas in reality, they are not using A+ funds at all but just have the same rules for eligibility. Could we not just call it the Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Tuition Reimbursement Program?? Additionally, the A+ scholarship is not based on financial need so it would make it seem like this scholarship would be for anyone who meets the eligibility requirements like the A+ scholarship, whereas in reality not everyone will receive it if they aren't ranking high enough for financial need.

What will be the determining factors as to how many students receive the scholarship? If it's based on funding, you won't know how much funds are being used until you know how many students are receiving it and how much tuition is being reimbursed for each student. One student could be taking 4 or 5 classes at one institution and another student could be taking one class at a different institution, so would you need to know before selecting the students how much money each applicant will be receiving and then you determine if you have to limit the number of recipients or not?

The proposed rule states that institutions will be responsible for verifying US citizenship. I'm assuming the schools will ask the students for birth certificates, which will complicate the dual credit enrollment process and the application process for this scholarship. They will need to enroll in dual credit and return those forms to the school counselor. They will need to apply for the scholarship in one place, email their tax information to another place, and send their birth certificate to another place. This is very confusing and complicated.

What if a student enrolls in dual credit hoping they will be selected for this scholarship but then they do not get selected for the scholarship? Will their family be responsible for finding funds unexpectedly? Will the student have to withdraw? What if they do not find out if they aren't receiving the scholarship until after the deadline to withdraw with a full refund from the institution?

Asking people to email their tax information seems like a very insecure way of sending private information. I worry that many of our students who could qualify would not apply because they would not want to send tax information via email.

I am not certain I am interpreting this correctly. Does this mean a student has to enroll in dual credit/dual enrollment in the spring semester to qualify for this? Many of our students enroll in the Fall semester for dual credit courses. Some of these are full-year courses where they enroll and pay for them in the Fall.

If the legislators authorized this many years ago and provided funding for this school year, wouldn't it need to include Fall courses as well?

Good morning! I would like to recommend a clarification or change to the eligibility requirements for the A+ Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship. Currently, item 6 states "A. Have achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the official Algebra I end-of-course exam, or a higher level DESE approved end-of-course exam in the field of mathematics; or B. Meet other criteria established by the CBHE. The CBHE will develop these criteria in consultation with approved institutions and A+ designated high schools and may revise these criteria annually;" I would like to ensure students could use their Math subtest ACT score and GPA instead of the Algebra I EOC. Our seniors did not take the Algebra I EOC due to COVID; they were slated to take it in the spring of 2020 when everything was shut down and then that test was waived for them. We did not ask them to take the Algebra I EOC in the 2020-2021 school year as it had been waived and they were no longer in that class. I imagine there are other students across the state who are in the same situation. It makes since that if students are allowed to use their ACT score & GPA to determine A+ eligibility then they should be able to use it to determine eligibility for the scholarship.

This is my first year as A+ coordinator so I apologize if students are able to use their ACT & GPA and I am just not understanding what the eligibility requirements are.

Thank you!

I have a comment on the A+ scholarship for dual enrollment.

Is it expected that the A+ coordinator will put together the list for dual credit to be submitted? Or can it be other school personnel? In our district, we use 3 different colleges for dual credit and the A+ coordinator wouldn't necessarily know the names of students taking classes for dual credit. We could have hundreds of kids taking dual credit classes. Our teachers are the ones who have direct contact with the Universities so they may be a better resource for knowing who is taking the class for dual credit or not. Also, since there is little time set aside for normal A+ coordination, that is just one more thing piled on with no extra time to work on this new rule for A+ coordinators.

Thanks.

It is my understanding that A+ funding will only be available for students that meet the financial requirements when enrolled in high school dual credit programs. Many colleges are already offering free dual credit to students enrolled that qualify for free/reduced lunch. Also, there is not a financial requirement tied to A+ for students upon high school graduation. I don't think this new rule is fair to our other students that are meeting the A+ requirements in high school. Not to mention, it is a cost savings to the state to pay for dual credit/enrollment when students are high school students because the per hour tuition rate is much lower.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my concerns.

I tried reading to see if I could find where this question was answered but I couldn't find it. If it has been answered please let me know. If not it is a question I have -

1. Will this program affect how long a student has to use their A+?

It is my understanding they have up to 48 months after the date of high school graduation to either 1) Graduate with a two-year degree OR 2) Complete 105% of required hours for the student’s program of study (credit hours earned before high school graduation was not included in the 105%). Will this stay the same?

Thanks!

Thank you for all the hard work you are doing with the Dual Credit A+ Program! I was a high school guidance counselor and A+ Coordinator for 10 years and see the difference the A+ program makes for students. Extending that opportunity to dual credit students is a wonderful opportunity!

The priority deadline is a huge concern for our institution and the high schools in our region. I'm not sure it would be possible for us to make that deadline. We currently use the state census date as our registration deadline for dual credit students who are taking classes at their high school. This gives us a little more time to get them registered each semester. Spring 2022 the census deadline is February 7th. It is only a week, but a lot happens during that week.

Our institution begins classes on January 18, with the last day to register being January 21st. Prior to this, we are focusing on registering dual enrollment, while the college is working with regular college students. Our college advisory team assists with the dual credit registration process, as does the admissions team. We register approximately 1,000 students during this time.

Fall would even be more difficult. High schools are starting much later. This fall most schools started the week of August 24th. Our classes began on August 23rd, before most high schools. It was a push to get dual credit students registered before the census date of September 1. Any deadline earlier than that would be near impossible to meet. Although there is some variation in start dates around the state, they are within the same time frame.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my concerns. I look forward to seeing how this works out and for our students to have the opportunity to use A+ to pay for dual credit. The guidance counselor in me is doing the happy dance! This program will open the door for students across the state to be able to get their Jump Start on college!

What is being considered about a student who is enrolled in A+ and receives a scholarship (possibly several) but chooses to drop out of A+ or fails to complete the tutoring or meet the math requirement by their final high school semester? I have known several students who have not attempted these two requirements until their final semester.

We have given a great deal of thought to the A+ Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program and the application process.  Our principal concern is Financial Aid Offices would be required to ask about a child’s immigration status when validating U.S. citizenship.  Dual credit scholarship applicants would be enrolled as Juniors and Seniors in high school and would not be enrolled as regular post-secondary college students. 

Per the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education, secondary students are protected against discrimination under Federal law:

All children in the United States are entitled to equal access to a basic public elementary and secondary education regardless of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or the status of their parents/guardians. School districts that either prohibit or discourage, or maintain policies that have the effect of prohibiting or discouraging, children from enrolling in schools because they or their parents/guardians are not U.S. citizens or are undocumented may be in violation of Federal law.

A school district may not ask about your or your child’s citizenship or immigration status to establish residency within the district, nor may a school district deny a homeless child (including a homeless child who is undocumented) enrollment because he or she cannot provide the required documents to establish residency. (https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2014/05/08/plylerfact.pdf)

Requiring secondary students to disclose immigration status could have the effect of prohibiting or discouraging high school students from enrolling in dual credit as part of their basic education. Furthermore, homeless students may not apply because they cannot provide the required documents to establish residency. Thus, if a provider/institution were to inquire into the student’s citizenship or immigration status, the inquiry could negatively impact the student’s enrollment within the secondary and post-secondary institution.

In Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982), the U.S. Supreme Court held the undocumented or non-citizen status of a student (or his/her parents) is irrelevant to that student’s entitlement to public education. (https://www.copaa.org/page/ICESchool)

In summary, we suggest secondary students maintain consistent protections afforded by Federal law regarding citizenship status.  This comment proposes a change in the verbiage of the rule to remove the citizenship requirement as a component of eligibility.  The language within the rule could be expanded to differentiate the definition of a high school (secondary) student versus a post-secondary student who is bound to the citizenship requirement. 

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

I have given a great deal of thought to the A+ Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program.

My principal wish as a high school counselor is allowing students who are potentially eligible for A+ to use the money as a high school student, regardless of any income guidelines. Whether factual or not, I have heard from other institutions that in order for a high school student to receive the A+ dual credit scholarship, they have to be Pell Eligible. This income guideline does not fit with the A+ requirements for graduated students so does not make sense to have it a requirement for high school students. Our middle class students are the students who would benefit the most from being able to use their A+ funds during high school. Currently the institutions my high school works with allow free tuition to students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. There are no programs in place for high school students with income guidelines above this threshold.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration,

Please consider these comments on the Proposed Administrative Rule, 6 CSR 110-2.195 for the A+ Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program, published on October 1, 2021, in Volume 46, No. 19, starting on page 1757 of the Missouri Register.

6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(A)5:  Have at least a ninety-five percent (95%) attendance record overall through the semester immediately preceding the semester in which tuition reimbursement is being sought;

Comment for 6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(A)5.

Reduce the attendance requirement.  3 year state attendance average is only 90%, and should be the standard.

 

Poor and homeless students need these scholarships the most, yet they have the biggest problems getting to school.  95% attendance is not required in statute, and the threshold should be less so more kids qualify.

 

23.2% of students eligible for free lunch and 17.9% of students eligible for reduced-price lunch missed 3 school days or more, compared with 15.4% of students not eligible for meal assistance.

 

Among students missing more than 10 days, the share of free-lunch students was more than twice as large as the share of non FRLP students - 2.3% vs. 1.1%.

26% of IEP students missed 3 days of school or more, compared with 18.3% Of non-IEP students.

 

https://www.epi.org/publication/student-absenteeism-who-misses-school-and-how-missing-school-matters-for-performance/

6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(A)6.A:  Have achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the official Algebra 1 end-of-course exam, or a higher level DESE approved end-of-course exam in the field of mathematics;

Comment for 6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(A)6.A.:

Using Algebra I as a hurdle may keep out students who are advanced in other areas.  Consider adding other qualifying courses to let students who excel elsewhere earn college credit.

6 CSR 110.2-195(4)(A)7:  Have maintained a record of good citizenship and avoidance of the unlawful use of drugs and/or alcohol through the semester immediately preceding the semester in which reimbursement is being sought.

Comment for 6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(A)7.:

References to drug/alcohol avoidance should be removed because "avoidance" is a fuzzy term.  Does the school do a drug test?  Do the students attest to their drug/alcohol abstinence?  Does avoidance mean total abstinence?  I'd take out this drug/alcohol avoidance requirement because without actual verification, no student will admit to using these substances if it means losing a scholarship, and some races/wealthier kids are less likely to get prosecuted or caught for these things.

6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(F):  Tuition reimbursement will be made for dual credit or dual enrollment coursework taken in the fall and spring semesters, but no tuition reimbursement will be made for such coursework in summer school.

Comment for 6 CSR 110-2.195(4)(F):

The provision barring reimbursement for summer classes should be removed.  Allowing students to take dual credit classes in summer school would increase educational opportunities and scheduling flexibility, and allow students who need summer activities to excel in productive ways.

Thank you for considering these comments.

I feel the A+ Dual Credit Scholarship provides a fabulous opportunity to level the playing field for underprivileged students.  Providing funds for dual credit opportunities not only helps their standing in high school, but also helps shorten students' time in college.  This opportunity helps those who need it move forward with their higher educational goals that may not be able to be fulfilled otherwise.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns with the new A+ Dual Credit Scholarship program.

The A+ Program has been a vital part of furthering the education of our students and we have given much thought to the new program that is being proposed and we have some valid concerns.

To apply, a student must have already achieved proficient or advanced on the Algebra I EOC Exam or earned a 17 on the ACT.  The majority of our students will not have received scores in time to apply for the incentive program.  Is consideration being given to remove the math requirement from the A+ program?

A major concern for our students is that they will not know if they are granted the scholarship when they register and will likely have completed the course if/when they are determined if eligible for reimbursement, and if they are not eligible how are they going to pay for the course.

Collection of tax documentation during the application process will be an obstacle to many of our students since many come from multiple households.

I do appreciate you taking the time and understanding our concerns for our students.

I don't believe the state should offer this to students for dual credit courses.  I thought A+ was for students who meet all of the requirements.  Many of these students will not meet all of the requirements by time they graduate, but they get to use A+ money.  Not fair to the students that meet all of the requirements.

Concern 1) A student applies for the money, signs up for the class, and then doesn't receive a scholarship due to income...this student now owes a bill that they have no way to pay for.  It seems like they need to apply before the semester even starts so they know if they have the means to pay.

Concern 2)  meets the A+ criteria....many of our seniors had their Algebra I score exempted due to covid...therefore they haven't met the criteria unless they have taken the ACT and met it that way.

Concern 3)  Clearer parameters of what is an income-eligible....example you have to be on free and reduced lunch. This way it is much easier for us helping the students/parents to apply or even if they need to apply.

Concern 4)  I am old, I was around when our school wrote the A+ grant.....I felt the purpose was to help those middle-income families afford college.  All too often it's our middle-income kids that are the ones that truly need the funds.  Parents are both working, they make enough to survive but definitely not enough to help pay for a student's tuition.  Students aren't pell eligible and have to take out many loans and graduate with a heavy debt load. The students that will be pell eligible will have many more financial resources when they get to college.  I would rather you limit the number of credit hours that a student can take and be paid for and allow that middle-income student to at least reap some benefit with this program.

Concern 5) It might be easier to only allow only seniors to participate in this program.  If they have made it to their senior year, it is highly unlikely they will drop out.  They also have the maturity to take a dual credit class and be successful.  I think that would help to make sure the money is being invested into students that will be successful in their class. They will also more than likely have their mentoring done and their EOC done.

Concern 6)  They have 4 years to use the A+ grant money, does their date now begin when they receive money for their dual credit class and not when they graduate?

Thank you!

[Institution] would greatly benefit from the dual enrollment dual credit A+ scholarship. [Institution] has in the past offered students to come to [City] for dual enrollment courses. We could have students who are interested in the higher level courses that [Institution] has to provide come take classes for free. This would benefit the education of our high school students who are wanting to challenge themselves further and could also potentially raise their test scores in high school due to the critical thinking offered at [Institution]. [Institution] is ranked as one of the top schools of professors who hold the terminal degree in their fields. These students would benefit greatly by being in this environment. I feel as though it would do amazing things for the surrounding school systems.

I know the timeline is not posted but I have a concern about the process. I believe that students qualifying would the scholarship would affect the list that the high schools provide. Students with limited funds are not going to explore the dual enrollment options unless they know they have the funds.

I'm also curious about the family income information. Students must complete the FAFSA normally but their funds aren't based on that fact. Will that information be used as a qualifier or to help award the scholarship to the students with less financial support?

Thank you all for working on this for students. I would have benefited from this as a high school student and I know so many of my students would have too. This is also very financially responsible because the tuition costs are so much lower for dual enrollment courses. Great job!

I have read through the Process Outline with my co-counselor and building principal.  I want to start off by saying, we want to thank the state for finding a way to allow for our low income students to earn dual credit.

I am going to offer my thoughts as well as solutions to our concerns.  Our concerns primarily reside around the logistics of managing this program for those who ultimately will be responsible for overseeing this (School Counselors). 

AGI Information.  This seems unmanageable for counselors to oversee and will use many hours of time at the start of the school year.

• Solution:  Would it be possible for us to determine the "need" locally rather than send it to MDHE to oversee?  Currently, schools vet students for the Free / Reduced lunch program based on multiple criteria.  If counselors could use this (already created) list it would protect our most valuable resource (our time). 

• Counselors could provide separate lists.  This would allow MDHE to categorize and authorize funds based on need: 

• Free

• Reduced

• Everyone else

A+ tracking.  The current proposal required counselors to track and verify eligible students.  This creates a substantial amount of work, robbing us of a valuable resource, time.   

• Solution:  Students must be in the A+ program.  From there, only make it a GPA and Citizenship requirement.

  • Increase the GPA requirement to a 3.0 for high school dual credit to ensure a high calibur student.   This is the only thing that can reasonably be vetted properly by the end of the sophomore year. 
  • Citizenship will cause a student to lose their A+ immediately.  This would be the only other thing that could reasonably be monitored. 
  • Do not require a Test Score. Test score requirements sometimes cannot be met until the junior year.  The students struggling financially are many times the same students struggling to meet this requirement. 
  • Attendance - unmanageable.  Too many students are staying home precautionary (COVID) and we have no way to verify it.  Appeals don't occur until May of their senior year for us to override locally.   In any given year, we have roughly 10% or more of our graduating class have to appeal for their attendance.  It takes days for us to process appeals and finalize seniors.  This is unmanageable to have to do for 2 grade levels at the beginning of the year.
  • 50 hours of tutoring.  This many times isn't met until students are an upperclassmen. 

By adjusting these two things, it will make this program far more manageable for those of us that will likely be overseeing it.  Thank you for your consideration. 

I have some significant concerns regarding the A+ scholarship for dual credit students.

First of all, it's wonderful that the state is allocating money to assist students. HOWEVER, the logistics and execution of such an endeavor is overwhelming and seemingly, quite complicated.

1. Please don't name it the A+ scholarship. Counselors already have a difficult time helping students understand the difference between A+, dual credit, and district paid tuition for students currently attending our local career center.
2. We currently use three different colleges for dual credit. That's three different timelines, three different enrollment protocols, payment deadlines, student accounts and login information, etc. Some are in the fall; some are in the spring. We also offer online dual credit courses in the summer.
3. Step #2 of the enrollment process is going to send me over the edge. MDHEWD wants a list of all juniors/seniors who are A+ eligible, including an EOC score. The EOC is problematic, as many students don't have scores on file due to COVID. Then the counselor needs to fill out the expected number of dual credit hours, the provider and the tuition rate for each student? Could you not just send us a list of students who have applied, and THEN we complete the information only for those students who have already applied?
4. We are adamantly opposed to our students going into debt and potentially harming a credit score. We strongly urge students to sign up for dual credit ONLY if they are certain they can pay for it. I don't want this program to send the wrong message, perhaps sounding as though it is LIKELY it will be covered, but then again, maybe not? Some colleges already offer 6 free credit hours for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. Could we not just keep it as such and maintain some simplicity? Asking juniors to provide AGI is just another obstacle. POTENTIAL SOLUTION-could districts just provide a list of how many students typically participate in dual credit, and thus receive a portion of the costs to help offset the cost of dual credit courses?
5. Counselors then receive a list of students who are sent for verification so that we can notify students of their status. Can MDHEWD not contact families directly?  We simply do not have time to be the middleman, tracking down students, calling families, explaining exactly what documents are needed, etc.

This is a difficult time to work in education, and counselors are spread terribly thin. While this is a wonderful opportunity for students, I'm confident that the process could be simplified to make the process far more feasible.

Thank you for your time.

Comments Regarding A+ Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship:

First, thank you for the efforts in trying to provide assistance to our students.  As a 30+ year educator and A+ Coordinator, I have witnessed the many benefits of the A+ Program.  However, I have a few concerns with the implementation of the DC/DE Scholarship.

*The best part about the A+ Program is it is open to anyone who wants to work for it and is not based on financial need.  We have so many middle-income families who do not qualify for assistance, but they can utilize the A+ Program.  Implementing this scholarship will be confusing because now there is an application based on financial need for the DC/DE Scholarship.  This does not go with the original outline of the A+ Program and will lead to confusion for students and parents.

*As an A+ Coordinator, I would like to see ALL A+ criteria met before any money is awarded.  There will be students who never complete all their tutoring hours, GPA may drop below 2.5, or their attendance will drop below 95% when they graduate, but could have been awarded this scholarship(s).  The tutoring requirement is one of the best requirements for the program and I have seen it change students in so many positive ways, not just financially.

*One part of the A+ Program that needs to be addressed is the math EOC requirement.  This is another subject, but why not take that requirement out of the A+ Program and apply this extra money to help those kids who might not excel in math.  I have many deserving students who meet all requirements, but struggle with this math score (may miss it by 1 point) which makes them feel so defeated.  This requirement has faults and I will not address them all at this point, but it is something that should be considered before we add another scholarship that does not require all of the criteria to be met before receiving the money.

*This will be one more thing I will be required to do without compensation.  I love to go above and beyond to help our students, but I do not feel this scholarship should be tied to the A+ Program; it should be called a financial need based scholarship.

*Also, I feel there are still a lot of questions that need to be addressed before this is put into place this spring.

I do a lot to help kids financially and advocate for them.  I am happy to talk with anyone regarding A+ ideas and thoughts that I see happen on the front lines daily.  Thank you for your time and consideration.