State Aid Update MASFAA Fall Training October 23, 2014

Recent Legislative Changes to State Aid

Recent Changes to the HELP Scholarship HELP Core Curriculum changed in 2013 – CPC + 2 : 15-1/2 units from IHL Required CPC + 1 unit of art (any MDE-approved course in the 500 series) + 1 advanced elective (Add’l Foreign Language I or Foreign Language II; 4 th Year Math; or 4 th Lab-Based Science) Application process simplified in 2014 – 1 Year of ResidencyDocumentation – 1 Year of Income Documentation Income threshold increased, effective 2015 – $39,500 in ; $42,500 in

Impact of HELP Changes Aid YearStudents AwardedDollars Awarded $ 1,265, $ 1,528, $ 3,153, $ 4,852, ,357$ 7,455, ,720$ 9,393, % increase in students awarded 750% increase in dollars awarded Additional growth anticipated

Other Recent Changes in State Aid 2013 Changes: – Teacher Education Scholars program created 2014 Changes – Transfer students to receive MESG Must transfer back to MS w/ less than 36 hours – Implement 2.5 maintenance GPA on LAW Scholarship – Phase out Critical Needs program; last new awards in – Create MS Teaching Fellows program, effective – Consolidate code and expand Postsecondary Board

High School Initiatives

FAFSA Completion Project National initiative with US Dept. of Education Goal to increase FAFSA completion and college enrollment Allows state grant agency to share student- level FAFSA data with high school counselors – FAFSA Completion Status – FAFSA Submitted Date – FAFSA Processed Date – FAFSA Verification Status

FAFSA Completion Project in MS Two-Step Process to Implement – STEP ONE: Collect signed Participation Agreements from each district. Federal requirement Participation Agreement online, ready to download Districts encouraged to do this NOW! – STEP TWO: Assign new unique PINs to individual high school counselors. Programming underway Counselors will be notified to apply for a new PIN

New Tool for Counselors (Coming Soon!) Reports on Demand: – List of students who have applied for state aid – List of students who have completed the FAFSA – List of students who have applied for HELP – List of students with missing documents (GPA, ACT score, HELP Core Certification)

Postsecondary Initiatives

Enrollment/Grade File Work Group Original enrollment/grade file formats created in late 1990s Campus operations have changed Need to modernize file formats Work Group convening Jennifer Rogers:

Updated Disbursement Process Thursday: SFA sends Disb. Request to IHL F&A Monday: – 1) IHL F&A requests drawdown from DFA – 2) IHL F&A sends rosters w/ check info to SFA Tuesday/Wednesday: SFA posts Disb. Reports Thursday: – 1) IHL F&A receives drawdown from DFA – 2) IHL F&A Initiates EFT to schools Friday – Tuesday: Schools receive funds

Expanded Postsecondary Board Board expanded from 3 members to 9 Authority over ALL State Programs Board Members: – IHL Board Representative: C.D. Smith – IHL Institutional Representative: Al Rankins, Alcorn State University – MCCB Board Representative: Lee Bush – MCCB Institutional Representative: Bob Walker, Itawamba CC – MAICU Association Representative: Ben Burnett, William Carey University – MAICU Institutional Representative: Cynthia Melvin, Tougaloo College – Governor's Representative: TBA – Lt. Governor's Representative: TBA

MS Office of Student Financial Aid Jennifer Rogers, Director Phone: (601) General Information Phone: (601) Toll-free: (800) Web:

Questions