Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program is sponsored by Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD). A need-based grant program for undergraduate students who are Missouri residents. Awards are determined by financial need as indicated by the FAFSA.

Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program | dhewd. mo. gov Access Missouri Financial Assistance 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 ® ). The information below is effective for the 2025-2026 academic year, unless otherwise noted. Am I eligible?

To be eligible for assistance you must meet the following requirements: 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: 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 indicated in the table below. 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.

2026-2027 Academic Year Deadlines Deadline Type Priority deadline - February 2, 2026 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. 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, 2026 Generally, you must submit your FAFSA ® by April 1 to meet the final deadline to be considered for eligibility. Correction deadline - July 31, 2026 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.

For example, if you filed a FAFSA ® before the award deadline but mistakenly indicated you were a graduate student (making you ineligible for Access Missouri), you may correct the error through July 31. Your eligibility status will be set on August 1. Although you can continue to make FAFSA ® corrections after the deadline for other purposes, those corrections will not make you eligible for Access Missouri.

However, if you are eligible on August 1, a correction received after the correction deadline can make you ineligible for Access Missouri. If you have questions about your eligibility status, contact the MDHEWD at (800) 473-6757, option 4. How much can I receive?

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

Submit your FAFSA ® each year by the deadlines indicated above under "Am I eligible?" The MDHEWD receives electronic FAFSA ® records for Missouri residents directly from the federal government. There is no state Access Missouri application to fill out.

How will I know if I am eligible? 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 . How will I receive my award?

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.

How do I renew my award? 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. How do I transfer my award?

You may transfer your eligibility to any participating school . If you choose to transfer to a different participating Missouri school, either between academic years or semesters, you must contact the MDHEWD at (800) 473-6757, option 4.