Navigating Financial Aid: Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation Eligibility Requirements

The Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation (MSLF) plays a crucial role in supporting Missouri students pursuing higher education. Beyond being a donor to KC Scholars, the Foundation extends its reach statewide, offering a variety of programs designed to alleviate financial burdens and promote academic success. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the MSLF's offerings and their respective eligibility requirements.

MSLF's Commitment to Missouri Students

The Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation is dedicated to providing needed support to college students statewide. Recognizing the challenges students face, the Foundation increased funding awards to assist students impacted by COVID-19.

Director’s Choice Emergency Grant Program

To help students persist to completion through an urgent situation, the Director’s Choice Emergency Grant Program was created. The program aims to remove the barriers that arise throwing students off course. Students attending participating Missouri institutions are generally identified by the Financial Aid Director who works with key departments within the institution to build awareness of this resource. MSLF piloted the program in 2019-2020 at public institutions, and we are expanding the program for the 2020-2021 academic year to private institutions that want to participate. Generally, students are referred to this program by their school and can complete the application at www.myscholarshipcentral.org (then key word Finish Line).

Missouri Family Education Loan Program (MOFELP)

MOFELP is an interest-free, fee-free private student loan program designed to provide a borrowing option for Missouri students who have financial need and may not meet the traditional credit requirements for private loans. To qualify, students must have an EFC of $12,000 or less and meet certain academic requirements. For more information, visit mslf.mohela.com.

Scholarship Opportunities Through MSLF

In addition to the programs highlighted above, MSLF offers two scholarship programs, one for incoming high school freshman and another for current college students. For 2020-2021, those scholarship applications closed on June 30. Each year, these applications can be found on Scholarship Central.

Scholarship Central: A Centralized Scholarship Resource

Scholarship Central is a statewide resource for students to find multiple scholarships opportunities in ONE place. And Scholarship Central enhancements for the 2021-2022 scholarship process are underway. Scholarship providers throughout the state of Missouri are collaborating to truly make Scholarship Central a resource to find ALL private scholarships in one place.

Access Missouri Financial Aid Program

Access Missouri is a need-based program designed to be simple to understand, provide predictable, portable awards, and increase access to your school of choice. Your financial eligibility is determined by your Student Aid Index (SAI) as calculated through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

Eligibility Requirements for Access Missouri

To be eligible for Access Missouri, students must meet several criteria:

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and a Missouri resident.
Be an undergraduate student enrolled full time at a participating Missouri school. Full-time enrollment is defined as a minimum of:
- 12 semester hours, or
- 8 quarter hours, or
- 6 semester hours for students who are unable to enroll in 12 hours as a result of a disability defined by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Have an SAI of $12,000 or less.
Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.
Not have received your first bachelor's degree, completed the required hours for a bachelor's degree, or completed 150 semester credit hours.
Have a FAFSA® on file and make any FAFSA® corrections affecting your eligibility by the deadlines.

Renewal Requirements for Access Missouri

Renewal students must continue to meet the eligibility requirements for initial students, maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 and otherwise maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by your school. If this is the first academic year in which you have received an Access Missouri payment, this requirement does not apply. Not have received an Access Missouri award for a maximum of five semesters at a 2-year school or 10 semesters at any combination of 2-year or 4-year schools, whichever occurs first.

Important Deadlines for Access Missouri (2025-2026 Academic Year)

Priority deadline: February 3, 2025. Generally, you must submit your FAFSA® by February 1 each year in order to meet the priority deadline. Eligible students who apply on or before the priority deadline are guaranteed an award.
Award deadline: April 1, 2025. Generally, this deadline is set between the February 1 priority deadline and the April 1 final deadline based on funding availability. Eligible students who apply on or before the award deadline will be awarded. The award deadline may change before it is set in August each year based on funding and the number of eligible students. These changes will only move the deadline closer to the April 1 final deadline to make more students eligible.
Final deadline: April 1, 2025. Generally, you must submit your FAFSA® by April 1 to meet the final deadline to be considered for eligibility.
Correction deadline: July 31, 2025. If you have a FAFSA® on file on or before the award deadline, you may make corrections to it that affect your eligibility until the correction deadline.

Access Missouri Award Amounts

Award amounts are based on your SAI and the type of school you are attending when you receive the award. If you transfer to a different school, your award amount may change based on the type of school to which you transfer. All award amounts are estimated until August, when the amount of funding for the program and the final number of eligible students are known. Visit the Student Portal or contact your financial aid office or the MDHEWD to see if you are eligible and to learn the estimated or actual amount of your award, depending on what time of year it is. If you are eligible for A+ tuition reimbursement, your Access Missouri award will be reduced by the amount of the reimbursement. Award amounts may also be reduced if your total aid package, excluding educational loans and aid based solely on academic performance, exceeds your school's cost of attendance. Awards are not available during summer terms.

The table below displays the minimum and maximum annual awards for each school type as established by the statute. Award amounts may be less than those shown in the table depending on the amount of funding that is available for the program. Award amounts may vary depending on your total financial aid package.

School Type	Maximum	Minimum
Public 2-Year	$1,700	$500
Public 4-Year, State Technical College of Missouri, Private, and Approved Virtual School	$3,500	$1,750

Applying for Access Missouri

Submit your FAFSA® each year by the deadlines. The MDHEWD receives electronic FAFSA® records for Missouri residents directly from the federal government. There is no state Access Missouri application to fill out.

Determining Eligibility for Access Missouri

Visit the Student Portal to monitor your eligibility status. Contact your school or the MDHEWD if you have questions. The MDHEWD will notify you by letter if there is conflicting information on your FAFSA® that you need to correct before July 31 to be considered for an award. It is very important that you accurately report information concerning your residency, citizenship and undergraduate or graduate status when completing or correcting the FAFSA®. The school you are attending determines your final eligibility by ensuring you meet all the program’s requirements, including full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, and CGPA. The school may determine you are ineligible even though you appear to be eligible in the Student Portal.

Receiving Access Missouri Awards

Each semester the school you are attending will certify your eligibility and request your award. The certification process occurs electronically in real-time. Schools typically certify eligibility at the beginning of each semester, although they can do so through the end of the semester. If your school certifies you are eligible, the MDHEWD will disburse your award within 3-5 business days of the certification. Your school will then deliver it to you. Delivery timeframes can vary from school to school.

Renewing Access Missouri Awards

To renew you must file the FAFSA and have your eligibility re-evaluated each year. This means that if you fail to file a new FAFSA® by the deadline or your SAI increases above the eligibility cutoff, you will not be eligible for an Access Missouri award for that academic year even though you received one in the previous year. However, you may be eligible for an Access Missouri award the following year if your FAFSA® is received by the deadline and you have an eligible SAI. If you are denied an Access Missouri award for not maintaining satisfactory academic progress or a 2.5 CGPA, you cannot receive another award until the enrollment period after you have once again met those requirements. Your school's satisfactory academic progress policy will determine how often your progress is checked. While you are receiving an Access Missouri award, if you are found guilty of or plead guilty to any criminal offense that disqualifies you from receiving federal Title IV aid, you cannot renew your Access Missouri award.

Transferring Access Missouri Awards

You may transfer your eligibility to any participating school.

Access EXTRA Scholarship

The Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation’s Access EXTRA Scholarship is a private scholarship for students with a Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less and who have earned a cumulative 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale weighted or unweighted GPA through at least seven semesters at a Missouri high school.

Eligibility and Application Details

A Student Aid Index (SAI) is required to apply.
2024 high school graduate; Missouri high school seniors who are enrolled full-time at an eligible Missouri public or private higher education institution for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 12,000 or less as determined on the FAFSA.
Apply early. This scholarship is renewable for a maximum of four years.
If this award is used for educational expenses that are not required for your academic program, such as housing, meals or transportation, your scholarship may be considered taxable income.

Required Information for Application

What school will you attend next year?
What is your Student ID number at the school you will attend next year?
Does your My Scholarship Central General Application contain your High School transcript through seven semesters?
What is your cumulative (weighted or unweighted) GPA through at least seven semesters of high school?
Upload your 2025-2026 FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).
Enter your Student Aid Index (SAI) found on your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).
Are you a first generation college student (neither of your parents graduated from a 4-year college or university)?

Terms and Conditions

By entering your full name, you authorize Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation (MSLF) and its agents to examine, verify and discuss your academic and/or financial records and other information which applies to the consideration of this application. Additionally, you authorize the school you currently attend and the school you plan to attend (if different) to share information with MSLF regarding enrollment status, GPA, billing and payment records, and financial aid records. You certify that all answers are accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. You understand that decisions relative to your participation in this program are made by the Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation in reliance upon the truth and accuracy of your statements. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, affords you certain rights regarding your education records. FERPA generally prohibits schools from releasing education records or certain information contained in such records, such as your grades, billing and payment records, financial aid awards, and other student record information, to third parties. This consent to release records to MSLF applies to such records that may otherwise be protected under FERPA. Institutions may, pursuant to Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 [Public Law 115-141] and with explicit written consent from the student, share Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information with a scholarship-granting organization. This authorization will remain in effect until you notify your school and MSLF in writing to revoke it. If this grant is used for educational expenses that are not required for your academic program (such as housing, meals, equipment, supplies, living costs, or transportation) the grant may be considered taxable income. MSLF does not withhold or report taxes on these funds. Recipients are responsible for determining any tax liability and should consult a qualified tax professional or the IRS for guidance if they have questions about their specific situation.

Additional Scholarship Criteria

Have earned a cumulative 3.80 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent on another scaled) weighted or unweighted GPA through at leave seven semesters at a Missouri high school.
2021 high school graduates; Missouri high school seniors who are enrolled full-time in a Missouri 4-year or 2-year high education institution in the fall of 2021.
Apply Early. This scholarship is renewable for a maximum of four years.

Required Documents

If applying based on ACT score of 27+, upload a copy of your ACT Score Report (or equivalent SAT report). We will accept an unofficial copy/screenshot.
If applying based on cumulative GPA of 3.80+, upload a copy of your high school transcript through at least seven semesters. Please note, if a 4.0 scale is not used, the GPA will need to be converted to a 4.0 scale.
STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR): Please upload a copy of your Student Aid Report. The SAR is the document resulting from the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once you have completed the FAFSA, upload your SAR here.

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