The A+ program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend a participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.
Cole County R-I, Russellville has 38 seniors attending classes and of those 27 have signed the agreement to participate in A+.
To be eligible for A+ students must meet the following requirements:
*Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or lawfully present in the U.S.
- Enter into a written agreement with your high school prior to graduation.
*Attend a designated A+ high school for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation.
*Graduate with an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
*Have at least a 95 percent attendance record overall for grades 9-12.
*Perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, of which up to 25 percent may include job shadowing.
*Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use of drugs and/or alcohol.
- Complete the FAFSA in the spring of your senior year.
*Beginning with the high school senior class of 2015, have achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the Algebra I end of course exam.
One of the seniors participating this year is Emily Kennedy, daughter of Sarah and Don Kennedy. Emily had this to say about her experience "I really enjoy seeing the children reach their goals, for example I have been working on numbers with one girl and she finally made it to 100! It was so exciting for both of us." She went on to say, "I can remember having helpers in my class when I was younger, it is really cool now, being the helper all the children look up to and being able to encourage and help them."
According to Brent Mettlen, Cole R-I High School Counselor, "With the rising cost of post-secondary education this is a great program for high school students Having the cost of tuition covered the first two years of college is a remarkable opportunity."