A+ Program

The A+ Program at Lee’s Summit West strives to ensure that students are prepared for and successful in life beyond high school.

The A+ Program works to provide students with continuous and progressive career information throughout the students’ years at Lee’s Summit West. It also focuses on ensuring that students have course offerings that prepare them for their paths after high school. And finally, the A+ Program helps to make courses rigorous and relevant to the world outside the classroom.

Graduates of designated A+ schools who successfully complete the requirements of the A+ Program may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of tuition and general fees while attending a Missouri public community college or vocational/technical school on a full-time basis. The A+ Program may provide these educational incentives provided state funds are appropriated by the legislature. The PLUS stands for financial incentives designed to aid students who wish to continue their education beyond high school and prepare for success!

Students and parents are able to continually monitor A+ status through Parent Connect.

More Information

Requirements & Deadlines

Maintaining Your Requirements

To maintain your A+ eligibility, you must meet the following requirements:

Attend an A+ School for two consecutive years prior to graduation
Graduate with an unweighted overall GPA of 2.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale for grades 9-12 (Notice: The Department for Higher Learning WILL NOT ROUND UP to meet the GPA requirement.)
Graduate with an overall attendance rate of at least 95 percent for grades 9-12
Perform 50 hours of district supervised, unpaid tutoring or mentoring
Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the use of alcohol and unlawful drugs (see A+ Agreement for more details)
Apply for non-payback scholarships by completing a FAFSA (Free Application For Student Aid)
Register for selective service, if applicable
Must score proficient or advanced on the state level Algebra I End of Course Exam or ACT Math sub-score of 17.

Senior Deadlines

Seniors will not be eligible to join the A+ program after December 4th (last Senior training date).

Benefits & FAFSA

Using the Grant Benefits

If you graduate from LSW with A+ status you have earned A+ grant benefits to use to continue your education. An important reminder: the grant money comes from the Missouri State Legislature. The amount of money or continuation of the A+ Program is at the sole discretion of Missouri Legislatures.

Currently, A+ grant benefits will only be made available to reimburse the unpaid balance of the cost of tuition. This is subject to legislative appropriation after the federal post-secondary student financial assistance funds have been applied to these costs. If additional changes must be made to the above incentives due to legislative appropriation, DESE will endeavor to reimburse: The full amount of tuition.

Where Are These A+ Grant Benefits Accepted?

You may use your A+ grant benefits at any Missouri public community college or technical or vocational school. The benefits will help with the cost of six semesters of fees (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer) or the completion of a degree program, whichever comes first.

The benefits are available to qualified student for up to four years after his/her high school graduation. You may work for a while and then attend community college or a vocational/technical school. Or you may attend another college or university and then return to a community college or vocational school on a full-time basis and use your grant benefits as long as you transfer with a 2.5 GPA.

Other Available Incentives

Several colleges and universities offer their own A+ recognition scholarships to entering freshmen that graduate with A+ status. These scholarships are initiated by the individual colleges/universities, utilizing their own funding resources. The requirements vary from school to school and sometimes require a higher GPA than the 2.5 mandated by A+. ACT scores may also be a requirement.

Please see the “4 Year Universities” tab above for a list of area schools that offer A+ recognition scholarships is on the back. If you are an A+ student planning to attend a school not listed, please contact the financial aid office of the school and ask about possible A+ recognition scholarships.

Scholarships

Avila University
Kansas City, MO
www.avila.edu
A+ Recognition Scholarship — $250 annually, renewable 4 years. May not combine with other Avila athletic scholarships.

Columbia College
Columbia, MO
www.ccis.edu
A+ Grant — New students: up to $2,500, renewable. Transfer students: up to $2,500, renewable.

Culver-Stockton College
Canton, MO
www.culver.edu
A+ Scholarship — $1,500 available to first year students only.

Evangel University
Springfield, MO
www.evangel.edu
Missouri A+ Recognition — Admission prior to March 1. $1,000 for first-time freshmen (maximum 30). Renewable with 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Fontbonne University
St. Louis, MO
www.fontbonne.edu
A+ Scholarship — $1,000 for new students. Admission prior to March 1.

Hannibal-LaGrange University
Hannibal, MO
www.hlg.edu
A+ Acknowledgement Scholarship — $3,000 award available to freshmen not eligible for other scholarships. Renewable with 3.0 GPA.

Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, MO
www.kcai.edu
A+ Scholarship — $1,000 for four years. Student must notify KCAI during the application process.

Missouri Southern State University
Joplin, MO
www.mssu.edu
A+ Leadership Scholarship — $1,000 annually, renewable 4 years. Renewable with 2.50 GPA and 27 credit hours.

Missouri State University
Springfield, MO
www.missouristate.edu
A+ Recognition Scholarship — $2,000 total ($500 annually, renewable 4 years). Renewable every year with a 3.25 GPA. Not stackable with other university-funded scholarships.

Missouri Valley College
Marshall, MO
www.moval.edu
A+ Incentive — Half tuition. Admission prior to March 15.

Missouri Western State University
St. Joseph, MO
www.missouriwestern.edu
A+ Scholarship — Admission prior to February 1. $1,500 competitively awarded to first-time freshmen. Must have at least 3.0 GPA in high school. Renewable 8 semesters with 3.25 GPA.

Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO
www.nwmissouri.edu
A+ Scholarship — Accepted for admission by April 1. $1,500 per year, renewable for one year. Northwest GPA of 3.30 to renew and 24 credit hours required.

Park University
Parkville, MO
www.park.edu
A+ Scholarship — Admission deadline December 1. Half tuition. Requires 3.25 high school GPA, 24 ACT, or 1100 SAT. Renewable 4 years with 3.25 GPA.

Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, MO
www.semo.edu
A+ Scholarship — Award limited to a maximum of 6 semesters. Covers course fees for specific associate's degrees only. Renewal based on university GPA of 2.5.

Truman State University
Kirksville, MO
www.truman.edu
A+ Recognition Scholarship — $500 annually, renewable for 4 years.

University of Missouri-UMKC
Kansas City, MO
www.sfa.umkc.edu
A+ Recognition Scholarship — $1,500 per year, renewable for 4 years with 3.0 GPA. Requires 3.0 high school GPA. Not available for medicine, dentistry, conservatory, or pharmacy programs. Apply for admission, FAFSA, and A+ application by January 15.

Webster University
Several Missouri locations
www.webster.edu
A+ Scholarship — Admission and application by February 1. $1,000. Based on high school GPA, class rank, and 21 ACT.

William Woods University
Fulton, MO
www.williamwoods.edu
A+ Scholarship — $1,000 per year. Automatically awarded upon receipt of certified transcripts from an A+ designated high school.