The Missouri Department of Higher Education offers a number of great scholarship programs to Missouri residents, a list of which can be found on their website. The specific scholarship that we will be looking at is the Bright Flight Program, which is a merit-based program that encourages top-ranked high school seniors to attend Missouri schools.
In order to qualify for the Bright Flight Program, an applicant must be a Missouri resident and a United States citizen or permanent resident, and have a composite score on the ACT or SAT in the top 3% of all Missouri students taking these exams. For 2010 high school seniors, ACT or SAT scores in the top 5% qualify (they’re lightening up a bit). Keep in mind that the exact score needed to qualify changes annually, and the percentages of the year before are used to determine who is eligible (for example, for the 2010-2011 round they will look at scores from 2009).
For this program, a higher score will qualify you for a larger scholarship, so a composite score of 30 on the ACT vs. a 32 might be the difference between a $1500 scholarship and a $3000 one.
The application for this scholarship is fairly simple; there is none! Instead, the Missouri Department of Higher Education will receive your SAT or ACT scores, determine who is eligible, and mail out approval letters to those eligible in the spring of your senior year. If you qualify for this program, the Dept. of Higher Education recommends that you “choose at least one approved Missouri school when you take the ACT or SAT, even if you plan to attend school in another state” so as to safeguard your eligibility.
The exact deadline for your final decision changes between July 31 and August 1 depending on what grade you are in, so make sure to check the Bright Flight Program’s webpage for the exact information.
As always, best of luck!
