Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News

Interim director of financial aid Sue Neely works at her desk Wednesday morning. Neely says Missouri Access Grants are awarded to students whose family's contribute below a certain amount.

Some Truman students' banks might be a little less broken this year.

The Access Missouri program began in the fall of 2007 to provide help for Missouri students who can't quite make the cut when it comes to tuition payments. The program depends on parents' ability to pay for their child's schooling. Sue Neely, interim director of financial aid, said a student is eligible for Access Missouri grants if his or her family's contribution is less than a certain amount designated by the federal government.

Neely said Truman students can receive a maximum of $2,150 because Truman is a four-year public university. Students attending community colleges and private schools receive different amounts depending on what category they fall into. Receiving a grant from Access Missouri is a process that includes both the federal and state government.

"Once a student files their FAFSA on April 1, their name is sent to [Jefferson] City for consideration," Neely said. "… If their expected family contribution is under $12,000, then they are eligible,"

Some recipients are perplexed by the checks they have been receiving from Access Missouri grants during the past couple of weeks. Junior Sara Riegel said she received an e-mail saying she was receiving a refund check from last semester.

"I usually get $750 a semester, but then the e-mail said I would get a refund check from last semester for $165," Riegel said. "The check was sent in the mail, so I got $915 [total]. There was no other explanation."

Jessica Robinson, press secretary to Gov. Matt Blunt, said one potential reason for the refund check is that the state underestimated the amount of money available. Another possible reason is that if other scholarships were decreased, the Access Missouri program would award the student more.

"The amount of reward increased roughly $50 [per student] on average," Robinson said. "So [for] example, students receiving $200 from the state per semester now receive $225 a semester."

The explanation for students' varying refund amounts, which range from $10 to $165, is a simple one, Robinson said.

Continued...

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