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Gov. Nixon announces increase in Access Missouri college scholarship amounts for students

During visit to North Central Missouri College, Gov. Nixon announces increase in Access Missouri college scholarship amounts for students

Governor also toured planned renovations at Geyer Hall made possible by state matching funds and strategic bond issuance

TRENTON, MO – Gov. Jay Nixon today visited North Central Missouri College in Trenton to announce that the maximum award amount for Access Missouri scholarships will increase by nearly 30 percent – to $850 from $660 – for students attending participating 2-year institutions, and by more than 23 percent — to $1,850 from $1,500 – for those attending participating 4-year institutions in the current fiscal year, FY2016.

“College affordability has been a top priority of my administration, and over the past six years Missouri has led the nation in holding down tuition increases at public universities,” Gov. Nixon said.  “This substantial increase in Access Missouri scholarship amounts will make college more affordable for thousands of students across the state.  As many other states struggle with deficits and gridlock, here in Missouri our commitment to our students and our higher education institutions continues to move our economy forward.”

Access Missouri is a needs-based scholarship program to help students of low-income families attend a participating Missouri college or university, if the student meets the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s eligibility criteria. Approximately 50,000 students receive an Access Missouri scholarship annually.

This increase in scholarship amounts is the result of the state’s fiscally responsible budget management and an improving economy, which allowed the Governor to release funding for Access Missouri in the 2015 fiscal year.  Those funds will be used in the upcoming school year.

The Governor also toured planned renovations at the college’s Geyer Hall. In April, Gov. Nixon made $1.4 million in state matching funds available to upgrade technology and improve learning at Geyer Hall.  In addition, the strategic bond issuance proposed and signed by the Governor this year includes $1.5 million towards completion of the project by the end of July, 2016.

Gov. Nixon has made the quality and affordability of higher education in Missouri a top priority of his administration. Over the past six years, Missouri has led the nation in holding down tuition increases at its public universities. The College Board’s 2013 Trends in College Pricing report shows that tuition and fees at Missouri’s public four-year institutions increased just 5 percent since 2008, lower than in any other state in the nation.