Help Students “Rise Up” to a Better Life: Plan and Pay for College

1. Help Students “Rise Up” to a Better Life: Plan and Pay for College

3. Webpage for Counselors www.mississippi.edu/financialaid High School Counselor Page

4. Webpage for Counselors www.mississippi.edu Link to High School Counselor Page

5. 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

6. Impact of HELP Changes 600% increase in students awarded 750% increase in dollars awarded Additional growth anticipated

7. 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 • Consolidate code/expand Postsecondary Board • Phase out Critical Needs program; last new awards in 2014-15 • Create MS Teaching Fellows program, effective 2015-16

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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)

11. Counselor “TO DO” List • Help students complete the online application by the appropriate deadline www.mississippi.edu/financialaid • Help students submit necessary documents • Submit high school grade file by April 30 • Certify the HELP Core Curriculum by April 30 • Run reports to help students submit documents to complete their applications

12. Deadlines • HELP Scholarship • March 31: Online Application • April 30: Supporting Documents • Summer Developmental Program Grant • July 21: Online Application and Supporting Documents • MTAG and MESG • September 15: Online Application • October 15: Supporting Documents

13. Supporting Documents • Residency Documents (2 Distinct Forms Required) : • MS Driver’s License (can provide on application) • FAFSA • Alternate Residency Documents Accepted: • State Income Tax Returns (NOT Federal) • Homestead Exemption • Voter Registration • Vehicle Registration • Eligibility Documents for MTAG/MESG: • 7-Semester High School GPA (Grade File) • ACT Score from official source (ACT or Grade File)

14. Supporting Documents (Cont.) • Documents Required for HELP: • Residency Documentation (2 Distinct Forms): • Preferred: (1) FAFSA and (2) MS driver’s license • Also accepted: State tax return; homestead exemption, voter registration, vehicle registration • Income Documentation: • FAFSA • HELP Worksheet (also referred to as the Household Verification Worksheet) • Academic Eligibility Documentation: • 7-Semester High School GPA (Grade File) • ACT Score from Official Source (ACT or Grade File) • Certification of HELP Core – NOT same as Grade File

15. Submit High School Grade File • 7-semester GPAs for ALL graduating seniors • Due each year by April 30 (the earlier the better!) • TWO ways to submit: • All Seniors, via upload to the Secure Web Portal • Individually, on Counselor Web Application (student must have state aid application on file) • Instructions/assistance available for creating the grade file: • www.mississippi.edu/financialaid/counselor_assistance.html

16. Certify the HELP Core Curriculum • NEW HELP Core Curriculum: • Three Ways to Certify: • All seniors, on HELP Applicant List (available after March 31 each year on Secure Web Portal) • All seniors, on Grade File uploaded to Secure Web Portal • Individually, online through the Counselor Web Application

17. Common Questions Related to HELP • HELP at a Community College • “Apply first to tuition”, but cannot exceed COA • Federal Aid • Institutional Aid • HELP will never exceed the amount of tuition and will be reduced if award puts student over COA • HELP Core Curriculum = IHL CPC +2 • Science courses of “comparable content and rigor” • MDE to determine which courses meet requirement • MDE developing matrix

18. MS Office of Student Financial Aid Jennifer Rogers, Director Phone: (601) 432-6791 Email: jrogers@mississippi.edu Babs McAlpin, HELP Program Administrator Phone: (601)432-6575 Email: mharris@mississippi.edu Beverly Jackson, Senior Systems Analyst Phone: (601)432-6437 Email: bjackson@mississippi.edu General Information Phone: (601) 432-6997 Toll-free: (800) 327-2980 Email: sfa@mississippi.edu Web: www.mississippi.edu/financialaid

19. Questions ?