North Central Missouri College has been notified that state budget reductions in the A-Plus Schools Program for 2003-2004 has resulted in the textbook benefit being eliminated effective this summer.
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orth Central Missouri College has been notified that state budget reductions in the A-Plus Schools Program for 2003-2004 has resulted in the textbook benefit being eliminated effective this summer.
The education budget approved by the state legislature, which Gov. Bob Holden vetoed last week, included only two-thirds of the amount requested for the A-Plus Schools Program. As a result, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education notified community colleges and technical schools that textbooks would not be reimbursed unless additional funding is allocated when the state budget is approved.
NCMC Dean of Student Services Joanna Anderson said the short notice from DESE does not give students much time to make financial arrangements for summer textbooks.
?We are calling students already enrolled for summer classes to let them know they will not be able to charge books next week,? she said. ?We also have posted signs in the registration area and NCMC Bookstore outlining the change.?
Because there still is a possibility additional funds will be approved for the A-Plus Schools Program, Mrs. Anderson said NCMC will keep track of the amount A-Plus students pay for textbooks in case partial or full reimbursement is allowed by the state.
?Our bookstore has devised a plan for recording textbook expenditures that will help A-Plus students should funding become available,? she said. ?We regret that textbooks are not going to be covered by the A-Plus Program as this was a big benefit for those students.?
The Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 created the A-Plus Schools program, which now includes 200 high schools across Missouri. Students who attend an A-Plus high school for three years, maintain a 95 percent attendance record and a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring in their school district with a record of good citizenship are eligible for state-funded financial assistance to attend a community college or public vocational-technical school. The assistance covers the cost of tuition, fees and books provided state funding is available. The recent budget cuts have eliminated the textbook benefit.
North Central Missouri College served 120 A-Plus students this past spring semester. Forty-one of the students lived in campus residence halls.