Adult and Commuter Student Services

Scholarships, Loans and Grants for the Nontraditional Student

Want to return to Missouri State to finish your degree but need some financial assistance? For the first time this fall, Missouri State is providing a special, one-time financial gift to help you return! To see if you qualify, call (417) 836-6364.

News Release - Missouri State offers four new programs to assist returning students who have not attended Missouri State University since fall 2006 semester.

Incentive Grant for Undergraduate Students
The “Complete Your Degree Incentive Grant” is designed to encourage undergraduate students to return to Missouri State University to complete their degrees. This one-time grant, valued at $500, is available to students returning for the fall 2008 semester only.

Incentive Grant for Graduate Students
The “Complete Your Degree Incentive Grant” is designed to encourage graduate students to return to Missouri State University to complete their degrees. This one-time grant, valued at $500, is available to students returning for the fall 2008 semester only

Graduate Incentive First-time Tuition Grant
The “Graduate Incentive First-time Tuition Grant” is offered to encourage individuals with a bachelor’s degree to experience graduate education.  This one-time grant, valued at $250, is available to those who have no previous experience with graduate work and have not applied to or been admitted to a graduate degree program.  This incentive grant offer is for Fall 2008 enrollment of new post-baccalaureate students.

City of Springfield Tuition Reimbursement Program
As a pilot program, Missouri State will provide a discount of $250 to City of Springfield employees who qualify for and take a course at Missouri State under the City’s tuition reimbursement program. The $250 discount will apply to each Missouri State course in which the employee enrolls. This grant is available for fall 2008 and spring 2009.

Return to Learn Scholarships

Each fall and spring semester, the Office of Adult Student Services awards a limited number of the "Return to Learn Scholarships" for undergraduate students 25 years of age or older. This scholarship will be awarded to adult undergraduate students (degree or non-degree seeking) entering college for the first time or returning after an absence of three years or longer. The scholarship is intended for adult/non-traditional students who exhibit outstanding potential for academic success at Missouri State University. The $1000 scholarship is applied to the recipient's account over two semesters if all criteria have been met.

The “Continuation Scholarship” is available for students who have successfully satisfied the requirements for the “Return to Learn Scholarship" as a way to reward them for their successes in their first two semesters of college work and as an incentive to continue to meet their educational needs. This $2000 scholarship is applied to the recipient's account over two semesters if all criteria have been met.

These scholarships may not be used for non-credit courses or in conjunction with Senior Citizen fee waivers.

Return to Learn Scholarship Eligibility:

To qualify for the first part of the two-semester scholarship, applicants must:
a)  Be 25 years of age or older
b)  Be enrolled in the first or second semester of his/her first college experience (excluding summer session) or be returning after an absence of three years or more
c)  Maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours

Download scholarship application
(Download Adobe Acrobat Reader)

To qualify for the second semester of the scholarship, applicants must:
a)  Have a 2.75 or better GPA after the first semester of his/her return to college study
b)  Maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours
c)  Be enrolled in his/her second consecutive semester at Missouri State University

Continuation Scholarship Eligibility:

First Semester:
a)  Must have completed and fulfilled the requirement of the “Return to Learn” scholarship
b)  Must be enrolled in his/her third consecutive semester at Missouri State University (excluding summer session)
c)  Must be in the top 5 GPA ranking among eligible applicants and have a minimum GPA of 3.0
d)  Must maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester

Second Semester:
a)  Must have a 3.0 or higher GPA to qualify for the second part of the two-semester scholarship
b) Must maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours
c) Must be enrolled in his/her fourth consecutive semester at Missouri State University

For further information, contact Adult Student Services at 417-836-4126 or toll free at 877-678-2005 outside the Springfield area.

Please take a moment to investigate other financial aid opportunities by visiting the Financial Aid office web site.

The following links will also provide sources for scholarships, grants, and loans:

www.fastWeb.com
www.scholarships.com
www.dhe.mo.gov
www.mohela.com
www.nslc.org
www.nslp.org
www.salliemae.com
www.ed.gov
www.finaid.org/otheraid/older.phtml
www.back2college.com
www.collegeboard.com/scholarships
www.wiredscholar.com
www.fastaid.com

For nondegree-seeking and/or part-time students:

www.teri.org