Missouri Land Grant Q&A
What is the Missouri Land Grant Compact?
The Missouri Land Grant Compact is MU’s pledge to fulfill its land-grant mission by offering more
competitive, affordable education to Missouri residents. As part of the compact, MU will offer the
Missouri Land Grant and the Missouri Land Grant Honors for Missouri residents. The Missouri Land
Grant will cover all tuition and fees for all Pell-eligible Missouri residents. Missouri Land Grant Honors
will meet 100 percent of unmet financial need for Pell-eligible students enrolled in the Honors College,
including tuition, fees, and room and board.
How many students are eligible for the Missouri Land Grant award?
Based on Pell eligibility from previous years, we expect that more than 3,500 MU students from Missouri
will qualify. Every MU student who is Pell eligible, in good academic standing and from Missouri will
qualify for the grants.
How can you afford this?
Due to unprecedented budget challenges, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi has
challenged MU and other campuses within the UM System to assess all aspects of how we do business
and streamline operations while identifying key areas of investment. These grants represent a significant
investment in the state of Missouri and underscore our commitment to providing competitive, affordable
education to Missourians. The grants use a combination of federal, state, and institutional resources to
meet the cost of tuition and fees at Mizzou. While students are guaranteed to have their tuition and fees
covered, not all of those funds will come from Mizzou.
How much money will it cost to fund these grants?
Mizzou invests about $12 million per year on need-based financial aid to promote access and affordability
in higher education. These grants will be generated from existing funds and are expected to cost about $5
million annually ($3.5 million for the Missouri Land Grants and $1.5 million for the Honors grants).
What are the academic requirements of the grants?
Incoming students must be eligible for admission to Mizzou. Current students must maintain satisfactory
academic progress.
How do you determine if someone is eligible for the Honors award?
To be eligible for the Honors award, individuals must be admitted to the MU Honors College and
demonstrate eligibility for the Pell Grant. Admission to MU’s Honors College is selective. For example,
incoming freshmen with an ACT score of 31 or higher must be in the top 15 percent of their class or have
a core GPA of 3.58; those with an ACT score of at least 29 need to be in the top 5 percent of their class or
have a core GPA of 3.91.
Are transfer students eligible for the Honors award?
Yes. Transfer students must apply to MU, be accepted to the Honors College and have a 3.7 GPA with at
least 30 hours total of transfer credits.
Why are the awards limited to undergraduates?
Providing access to higher education is at the core of Mizzou’s land-grant mission. That access begins
with undergraduate education. These grants follow in that tradition by providing access and affordability
in higher education. Much like federal and state aid programs, the grant provides funding for a first
undergraduate degree.
What does it mean to be Pell eligible? How much money can my family make?
There is more than just determining how much a family makes to determine Pell Grant eligibility. Each
family's financial situation is different, and there's no income cutoff that makes a student eligible or
ineligible to receive the Pell. With that being said, generally, most Pell Grants are awarded to students
whose families make less than $30,000 annually with some exceptions under certain circumstances.
Why doesn’t this go into effect for fall 2017?
Planning for awarding scholarships and grants happens well in advance so that funds can be budgeted
appropriately. At the time these grants were approved, MU already had arranged aid packages for our
freshmen and continuing students. Our admissions team wanted to allow time to notify students of the
new program and priority dates. The grants will be available for current students and those transferring to
MU in fall 2018.
If I receive other Mizzou scholarships, will they affect my eligibility for the Missouri Land Grant
awards?
The grants are a commitment from Mizzou to fund tuition and fees through a variety of resources,
including institutional awards. If a student receives additional aid after the Missouri Land Grant is
awarded, tuition and fees will still be covered, but the amount of the Land Grant may be reduced.
If I receive a scholarship from outside Mizzou, will my Missouri Land Grant be reduced?
Typically, outside scholarships do not affect a student’s Land Grant. However, financial aid packages
cannot exceed the estimated cost of attendance.
If I’m no longer eligible for the Pell Grant, will I still receive the Missouri Land Grant?
No. A requirement of these grants is that students must be Pell eligible. Students may still qualify for
other need-based awards if they meet specified criteria. Students who have unique family circumstances
that impact their ability to pay for school are encouraged to contact the financial aid office to discuss a
special circumstance adjustment.
If I regain Pell Grant eligibility, will I receive the Missouri Land Grant?
Yes, being Pell Grant eligible is a requirement of the Missouri Land Grant. If a student’s need level
changes and they are again Pell Grant eligible, they will be awarded the Missouri Land Grant.
If I convert residency, am I eligible for the Missouri Land Grant?
No. Students must be a Missouri resident at the time of application. Students may still qualify for the MU
grant if the Feb. 1 priority application deadline is met.
Will current students be grandfathered into the Missouri Land Grant?
Yes, provided the student was a Missouri resident at the time they started at Mizzou and Pell Grant
eligible.
Can I use the Missouri Land Grant to study abroad?
Students can use the Missouri Land Grant to study abroad, but the grant only will cover the average cost
of tuition and fees per semester at Mizzou.
My grants and scholarships already exceed the cost of tuition and fees. Will I receive the Missouri
Land Grant?
No. The Land Grant is a compact with Mizzou to guarantee sufficient aid to cover the cost of tuition and
fees. However, students may be eligible to receive the Land Grant to help reduce other out-of-pocket
expenses such as books.
Will transfer students be eligible for the Missouri Land Grant?
Yes! MU considers transfer students the same way it considers current students. If a student meets the
criteria, they will be eligible for the grant.
Are students eligible to receive the Missouri Land Grant during the summer?
Yes, so long as they are enrolled in at least 6 credit hours and meet all other eligibility requirements.
