To: The Missouri State House, The Missouri State Senate, and Governor Mike Parson

Fairness in State-Sponsored Scholarships Act

Fairness in State-Sponsored Scholarships Act
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Authored by: Eric Matthews
Proposed by: TBD
Bill Number: TBD
Committee: TBD
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In the state of Missouri there are many young scholars that are advancing their education ahead of the usual pace of typical students. There are students that are enrolled in college courses throughout the state that would benefit from state-sponsored and institutional scholarships. However, these students are currently prohibited from accessing because they have not yet earned an accredited high school diploma or graduate equivalency diploma (GED). Dual-enrollment students across the state will be better able to afford a higher quality of education by not being prohibited from scholarships they would otherwise qualify for. Because of deep budget cuts in education, college preparatory academy students across Missouri will not be able to afford to continue the education they already began. It is only fair and just that these students, who are in many cases active students on campus, be able to apply for the same scholarships their colleagues qualify for. In the interest of the state, it is important to provide affordable education to qualifying and deserving students in the state of Missouri.
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Section 1 – Missouri Department of Higher Education Bright Flight Program
1. Any Missouri-resident student that has been accepted to a Missouri public institution of higher education before the deadline of the Missouri Department of Higher Education Bright Flight Program shall be considered for Bright Flight scholarships, regardless of whether or not they have obtained an accredited high school diploma or a graduate equivalency diploma (GED), if they meet all other necessary criteria.

Section 2 – Institutional Scholarships at Public Missouri Universities
1. No public university in the state of Missouri shall deny any enrolled, admitted, or accepted student application to institutional scholarships offered by that institution on the basis of whether or not they have obtained an accredited high school diploma or a graduate equivalency diploma (GED).
1. Students that did not previously qualify for these scholarships before the passage of this legislation shall be permitted to apply for these scholarships in anticipation of the next semester of enrollment at these institutions, regardless of previous tenure within their institution.

Section 3 – Enactment
1. The measures of this legislation shall go into effect immediately upon the passage of this bill by the Missouri General Assembly and Governor of Missouri.

Why is this important?

In the state of Missouri, there are currently college students that do not qualify for state scholarships that their colleagues do because they have not yet completed a high school diploma or GED. Let's bring this to the attention of the state of Missouri and try to level the playing field for the sake of our students!