Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators Fall Conference 2008 November 20 th, 2008.

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program

Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators

Fall Conference 2008

November 20th, 2008

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship ProgramAgenda

• Overview of Program• Legislative Update• 2008-2009 Current Applications and Awards• Review of Online Process

– Student

– School

• Questions

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship ProgramOverview

• To provide postsecondary financial assistance to eligible students who complete qualifying secondary school coursework.

• Complete Application requirements– Student Application (Online or Paper)

– Complete Official High School Transcript

– Other Documentation, if applicable

• AP/IB Test Scores or College Transcripts

• Deadline – Must have applied within 30 days of the beginning of the term in order to receive first disbursement in that term– Does not have to have complete application or acknowledge

award before the deadline

• Deadline – Can apply and use scholarship any time within 4 years immediately following high school graduation

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship ProgramOverview

• Student Eligibility– Minnesota Resident for state financial aid purposes

– Completed a FAFSA for the financial aid year

– Graduated from a Minnesota High School

– Enrolled at an eligible Minnesota Institution for at least 3 credits

– Have a family adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 in the last complete calendar year prior to the academic year of that the student receives the scholarship as reported on the FAFSA

• Dependent Student: Parent AGI

• Independent Student: Student/Spouse AGI

– Take and receive at least a grade of C in each of the courses, unless otherwise stated, in one of four Rigorous Programs of Study used in the administration of the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship ProgramOverview

• Award Process– Eligible students will be awarded $1,200 for qualifying expenses to

be disbursed in two equal payments of $600

• The first payment to be made within the first term of enrollment

• The second payment will be made in the second term of enrollment if student successfully completes the first term

– Successful completion of the first term means:

• a student has completed all of the courses in the term with a letter grade (A-F or Pass/Fail and no Ws); or

• a student has completed the term with a term (not cumulative) GPA of 2.0 or higher

– Successful completion of the first term information is provided by the institution online at the end of the first term

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship ProgramOverview

• Award Acknowledgment– Eligible students will be sent a letter notifying them of their eligibility

– It will request them to complete an Acknowledgment Form online or by paper to indicate in which term they would like the first disbursement and to which institution

• Letter will provide student with unique username and password to complete form online

– Eligible student is informed of the option to decline the scholarship and request it in the future, as long as it is within four years immediately following high school graduation

– Eligible student is also informed that if scholarship is requested at a later date in a different financial aid year, the Office will review the income reported on the FAFSA to ensure that income requirements are still met

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program

Legislative Update• Statute was revised to clarify that a student must have

graduated from a Minnesota High School• Statute was also changed to state that a student must be

enrolled for at least three credits per term (or the equivalent)

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program 2008-2009 Applications and Awards

• 2008-2009 Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Summary Report (Handout)– Highlights

• 3,544 Applications Received

• 951 Pending Applications (Incomplete)

• 2,053 Eligible Students

• 1,609 Students Received Scholarship for Fall 2008

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Review of Online Process

• Student Application – Students can apply online at www.getreadyforcollege.org/achieve

– Student receives confirmation letter after application is submitted

– Requests student to submit additional documentation

• Complete Official High School Transcript (with grad date)

• AP/IB Test Scores or College Transcripts, if applicable

• Minnesota State Scholarship Programs - Online Tools Guide (Handout)– Screen shots of student applications

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Review of Online Process

• Institutional Access– View list of eligible students who have acknowledged award

– Confirm Eligibility for First or Second Disbursements

• Institutions must confirm student is attending or expected to attend in the particular term

• If institution does not make corrections to ISIR/DDS records for all students regardless of grant eligibility, need to confirm income eligibility

– Confirm First Term Completion Status

• Institution must confirm if students successfully completed the first term they received the scholarship in order for students to receive second disbursement

– View Payment Rosters

• Minnesota State Scholarship Programs - Online Tools Guide– Screen shots of processes available

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Review of Online Process

• Notification to Institutions– Periodic emails when eligible students are awaiting eligibility

confirmation

– Periodic emails when eligible students are awaiting confirmation of first term completion

– Emails when payments have been made and Payment Roster has been updated

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Review of Online Process

• Future Enhancements– Automatic email to college when there are students awaiting

eligibility confirmation and term completion status

– Enhanced sorting ability for institutions

• List of eligible students

• Payment Rosters

– Ability for schools to see students that have listed their institution as first institution on FAFSA and their application status

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Questions??

Minnesota Achieve Scholarship Program Contact Information

Megan FitzGibbon Sandy BowesManager of Scholarship Programs State Scholarship Programs Staff1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 1450 Energy Park Dr. #350Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 St. Paul, MN [email protected] [email protected](651)259-3931 (651)355-0609 (800)657-3866 (800)657-3866(651)642-0675 (FAX) (651)642-0675 (FAX)