Transcript State Aid Update MASFAA Fall Training October 23, 2014 Recent Legislative Changes to State Aid.

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; 4th Year Math; or 4th Lab-Based Science)
• Application process simplified in 2014
– 1 Year of Residency Documentation
– 1 Year of Income Documentation
• Income threshold increased, effective 2015
– $39,500 in 2015-16; $42,500 in 2016-17
Impact of HELP Changes
Aid Year
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
Students Awarded Dollars Awarded
289
316
652
918
1,357
1,720
$ 1,265,238
$ 1,528,257
$ 3,153,418
$ 4,852,533
$ 7,455,553
$ 9,393,875
600% 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
2014-15
– Create MS Teaching Fellows program, effective 2015-16
– 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 studentlevel 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
• Email Jennifer Rogers: [email protected]
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:
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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
Governor's Representative: TBA
Lt. Governor's Representative: TBA
MS Office of Student Financial Aid
Jennifer Rogers, Director
Phone: (601) 432-6791
Email: [email protected]
General Information
Phone: (601) 432-6997
Toll-free: (800) 327-2980
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.mississippi.edu/financialaid
Questions