Missouri College Grants: Access Missouri and the A+ Scholarship

By Steve Levine · Updated November 8, 2026

Missouri college grants come from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD), and the two largest programs are Access Missouri, a need-based grant for students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $12,000 or less, and the A+ Scholarship, which pays remaining tuition and general fees at participating community and technical colleges for graduates of A+ designated high schools. Both run through the FAFSA. For 2027-28, Access Missouri guarantees an award to eligible students who file by February 1, 2027.

That February 1 priority date is one of the earliest state dates in the country, and it is the single most useful thing a Missouri family can know this winter.

Missouri college grants: Access Missouri vs. the A+ Scholarship

	Access Missouri	A+ Scholarship
Basis	Financial need: SAI of $12,000 or less	High school record at an A+ designated school
Where it pays	Public and private Missouri colleges, including State Technical College of Missouri and approved virtual schools	Participating public community colleges and vocational/technical schools, and qualifying private two-year technical schools
Application	FAFSA by the priority date	Agreement with your high school, plus the FAFSA every year

Sources: MDHEWD, Access Missouri and MDHEWD, A+ Scholarship Program.

Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program

Eligibility

MDHEWD says first-time students must have an SAI of “$12,000 or less.” Renewal students must also keep a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and make satisfactory academic progress. Your SAI comes from the FAFSA; our guide to the Student Aid Index explains how it is calculated.

Access Missouri deadlines for 2027-28

Date	What it means
February 1, 2027	Priority deadline. “Eligible students who apply on or before the priority deadline are guaranteed an award.”
Between February 1 and April 1, 2027	Award deadline, to be announced in August based on funding
April 1, 2027	Final deadline
July 31, 2027	Last day for FAFSA corrections that affect eligibility

Source: MDHEWD, Access Missouri.

Filing after February 1 does not automatically disqualify you, but awards after that point depend on money left in the program. Our FAFSA deadlines guide explains how priority dates work.

Access Missouri award amounts

MDHEWD publishes a range of annual awards by school type but does not label the table with an award year, and it notes that amounts are estimates that may be lower depending on available funding. Because the figures are not tied to a stated award year, we do not repeat them here. Your college’s aid office will show your actual award.

The A+ Scholarship Program

High school requirements

According to MDHEWD, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Sign a written A+ agreement with your high school before graduation.
Attend a designated A+ high school for two years. Graduates of 2020 or later may meet this with any two of their last four years. Some children of active-duty or recently retired military parents who relocated to Missouri may be exempt, but must attend an A+ school the year before graduation.
Graduate with at least a 2.5 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Have at least 95% attendance overall in grades 9 through 12.
Complete 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, up to 25% of which may be job shadowing.
Keep a record of good citizenship and avoid unlawful drug or alcohol use.
Score proficient or advanced on the Algebra I end-of-course exam or a higher approved math exam, or meet an alternative Pre-ACT or ACT math subscore combined with a GPA: 17 with a 2.5, 16 with a 2.8, or 15 with a 3.0.

What A+ pays

A+ pays the unpaid tuition and general fees left after non-loan federal aid such as the Pell Grant is applied. For many students Pell covers tuition, so the A+ award can be zero. For 2026-27, MDHEWD caps tuition reimbursement at $240 per credit hour or $8 per clock hour, and funding may be reduced if state appropriations are insufficient.

Keeping A+ in college

Enroll full time at a participating school in a degree or certificate program.
File the FAFSA every year.
Earn at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of your first fall term, and a 2.5 cumulative GPA to renew after that.
Complete 12 semester credit hours per term (6 in summer), or 90% of required clock hours.
Eligibility ends at the earliest of 48 months after high school graduation, receipt of an associate degree, or completion of 105% of your program’s required hours.

Students who already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree, and those studying theology or divinity, are not eligible.

Missouri state aid checklist

File the 2027-28 FAFSA before February 1, 2027. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA walks through it.
List every Missouri college you are considering.
A+ students: confirm your A+ status, hours and attendance with your high school counselor before graduation.
Correct any FAFSA errors by July 31, 2027.
Renewing Access Missouri students: keep a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

How Missouri grants fit with federal aid

Both programs interact with Pell, and A+ in particular is applied after Pell. For award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement.

Questions families ask about Missouri grants

Can I use A+ at a four-year university?

MDHEWD describes A+ as paying at participating public community colleges and vocational or technical schools, and at qualifying private two-year technical schools. It ends when you receive an associate degree. Students planning a bachelor’s degree often use A+ for their first two years and then transfer.

My Pell Grant covers tuition. Do I still need A+?

Your A+ award may be zero if Pell already covers tuition and general fees, but keep your A+ eligibility active by filing the FAFSA every year and meeting the GPA and credit rules. If your Pell Grant drops in a later year, A+ can then pay.

I filed the FAFSA after February 1. Is Access Missouri gone?

Not necessarily. The priority date guarantees an award; after it, awards depend on funding, with the award deadline set between February 1 and April 1, 2027 and a final deadline of April 1, 2027. File as soon as you can.

My SAI is just over $12,000. Should I ask for a review?

If your family’s circumstances changed after the tax year the FAFSA uses, ask your college’s financial aid office about a professional judgment review. Corrections that affect Access Missouri eligibility must reach the state by July 31, 2027.

Where to go next

Compare Missouri with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder for awards that cover books and housing. MDHEWD’s student assistance line is (800) 473-6757, option 4.

Sources

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