President Vartabedian announces changes to the Missouri Western A+ Scholarship.

Missouri Western State University will expand its scholarship program for qualified graduates of A+ designated high schools in Missouri, starting with students receiving the scholarship this fall.

“The Missouri Western A+ Scholarship program was a great success in its first year, with more than 140 students taking advantage of the aid opportunity in 2012-2013,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “These changes will provide even greater assistance and flexibility to our students.”

The Missouri Department of Higher Education offers a scholarship to high school students who meet academic, attendance, tutoring/mentoring and citizenship criteria and enroll in a two-year degree program. The Missouri Western scholarship is for A+-certified incoming freshmen who choose to enroll full time in a four-year degree program directly out of high school.

Missouri Western has announced two major changes to its scholarship:

  • The scholarship will be available to recipients for up to four years if they maintain a GPA of at least 3.25. Currently, the scholarship is only available for two years.
  • Graduates of high schools in Andrew and Buchanan Counties will receive $2,000 per year under the scholarship program, an increase of $500 per year. Recipients from other A+ high schools in Missouri will continue to receive $1,500 per year. Dr. Melody Smith, Superintendent of St. Joseph Public Schools, thanks Missorui Western for “continuing to invest in our regional students” by expanding the A+ Scholarship.

In addition to high school graduates entering Missouri Western this fall, both changes apply to students who were awarded the scholarship in its first year and are eligible for renewal.

“These changes make the Missouri Western A+ Scholarship an even better option for A+-certified students who want to pursue a four-year degree,” said Howard McCauley, dean of enrollment management.

Devin Roberts is a sophomore nursing major from Central High School who received the Missouri Western A+ Scholarship in 2012-2013. Roberts is excited that the dollar value of the scholarship is going up for local students, and that it’s renewable for four years.

“The A+ scholarship has helped me, along with my academic scholarship, to pay for my classes,” said Roberts.

One of the advantages of the Missouri Western A+ Scholarship is that it is stackable with other federal, state and institutional financial aid. The average student receiving a Missouri Western A+ Scholarship last year received an additional $4,515 in aid, bringing the total aid for the first year to more than $6,000. A qualifying student from Andrew or Buchanan County entering Missouri Western this fall could receive a total of more than $24,000 in assistance over four years.

A limited number of Missouri Western A+ Scholarships are still available for fall 2013. The application deadline is Aug. 1. For more information, visit griff.vn/APLUS. To watch video of the press conference announcing the expansion, visit griff.vn/MWAPLUS.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.

Correction: An earlier version of this release misstated the state’s A+ requirements.