1. State Aid Update MASFAA Fall Training October 23, 2014

2. Recent Legislative Changes to State Aid

3. 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 2015-16; $42,500 in 2016-17

4. Impact of HELP Changes Aid YearStudents AwardedDollars Awarded 2009-10289$ 1,265,238 2010-11316$ 1,528,257 2011-12652$ 3,153,418 2012-13918$ 4,852,533 2013-141,357$ 7,455,553 2014-151,720$ 9,393,875 600% increase in students awarded 750% increase in dollars awarded Additional growth anticipated

5. 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 2014-15 – Create MS Teaching Fellows program, effective 2015-16 – Consolidate code and expand Postsecondary Board

6. High School Initiatives

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

10. Postsecondary Initiatives

11. 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 Email Jennifer Rogers: jrogers@mississippi.edujrogers@mississippi.edu

12. 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

13. 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

14. MS Office of Student Financial Aid Jennifer Rogers, Director Phone: (601) 432-6791 Email: jrogers@mississippi.edu General Information Phone: (601) 432-6997 Toll-free: (800) 327-2980 Email: sfa@mississippi.edu Web: www.mississippi.edu/financialaid

15. Questions