• Have you applied for admission to the college(s) of your choice?  You will need to be an admitted student before the college can do anything with your A+ Scholarship.

• Request your official high school transcript to be sent to the college(s) of your choice after graduation.  Your official transcript will have the A+ stamp indicating you have received the scholarship.

• Attend the college's student orientation program and register for classes as a full time student.

• Contact the college's financial aid office if you have questions concerning your A+ Scholarship, how it will be applied, and what anticipated expenses are covered.

• Remember, you must have applied for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) before your college can apply your A+ Scholarship to any charges (and any other financial aid received).  The last day to submit the FAFSA is June 30.  

OTC has provided information for students who want to take advantage of summer courses before attending a 4-year university (very few 4-year universities acknowledge the A+ Scholarship as it was created for community college attendance).  If you are interested in utilizing your A+ Scholarship and taking OTC summer classes for FREE, the details for OTC summer enrollment are below: 

OTC Summer A+ Scholarship FAQ’s 

If I am seeking a certificate or degree at OTC, can I use A+ for the summer semester?
Yes. If you are eligible for A+ and wish to enroll for the summer semester, be sure to enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours.

If it is my first summer after high school graduation, can I use A+ for the summer semester?
Yes! The Missouri Department of Higher Education allows you to use A+ program benefits at a community college your first summer after high school graduation, even if you plan to transfer to a four-year college or university in the fall. Just be sure to complete the steps outlined below. 

If I am seeking a certificate or degree at OTC, can I use A+ for the summer semester?
Yes. If you are eligible for A+ and wish to enroll for the summer semester, be sure to enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours. 

If I am attending another college, can I come back and use A+ for the summer at OTC?
The answer to your question, visiting students are not eligible. Here is why…

The Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) permits a student to use A+ Program benefits at a community college his or her first summer after high school graduation, even if he or she plans to transfer to a four year college or university in the fall.

Visiting students to OTC or students enrolled at 4-year colleges and universities during the prior fall or spring semesters of the current school year are not eligible to use A+ funding during the summer semester.  This is due to the fact a student must be degree seeking at the institution where A+ is utilized.  If your intent is to transfer your summer credits back to a four-year college for the fall semester, you are degree seeking there, not OTC; therefore, you would not be eligible. 

If you are attending OTC during your first summer after high school graduation, or if you are pursuing a certificate or degree at OTC, and you meet the requirements of A+, you must complete the following steps: 

1. Apply for admission to OTC  (New HS graduates will need to register as a First-Time Freshman)

2. Select a program of study (Visiting students are not eligible)

3. Enroll in a minimum of six (6) credit hours

4. Have your Final Official High School A+ stamped transcript sent to our Admissions Office (after graduation)

5. You must have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with OTC for the current year

   • To complete a current FAFSA Federal School Code is 030830

   • If you have already completed a FAFSA for classes beginning this fall, you MUST go back and complete the current FAFSA for the summer semester

   • This is because the summer semester is the tail end of the current academic year

   • The last possible day you may submit the current FAFSA is the last day of June