Project Stay is a program designed for you – to help you adjust to life in college, complete your degree, and then transition on to graduate school or your career field. There are many reasons why students decide to be a part of our program, but here are two of the best:
No. There is never a cost to join Project Stay and all of our services and activities are provided free of charge for students in the program. Project Stay covers all costs associated with workshops, cultural events, graduate school visits, etc. When traveling, Project Stay covers the cost of transportation and meals.
Students in Project Stay are required to meet with their assigned Project Stay advisor twice per semester. In addition, students must attend two Project Stay activities of their choice in order to remain active in the program. Project Stay offers a number of activities (about 1 per week) at a variety of times to meet the needs of students.
Applications may be accessed through our website here. Applications may also be submitted to our office in Hearnes Hall 301.
Applications may also be mailed to our office at:
3950 E. Newman Road
Joplin, MO 64801
ATTN: Project Stay
Applications may be faxed to us at (417) 625-9831 or emailed at projectstay@mssu.edu. In addition to the completed application, tax information must be obtained either through Banner or by the student.
Project Stay is federally funded through the US Department of Education and is required to report income status on all students in the program. In addition, 2/3 of the students served by the Project Stay program must qualify based on low-income status; therefore income must be verified for all applicants.
A student, neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate degree; a student who prior to the age of 18 lived with and received support from only one parent who did not receive a baccalaureate degree; an individual who prior to the age of 18 did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or adoptive parent.
Low-income guidelines are established each year by the Bureau of the Census. An individual is considered low-income if their family’s taxable income did not exceed 150% of the poverty level amount in the calendar year preceding application and acceptance into the Project Stay program. Low-income status is also dependent on the number of members in the household. Current year low-income levels can be accessed here.
In order to qualify for Project Stay based on disability status, a student must have documentation on file with the Student Disability Services Coordinator at MSSU. The Project Stay office will verify disability status during the application/int erview process and will only do so with written permission from the student.
All Project Stay students have the opportunity to enroll early for classes each semester. To be eligible for Priority Enrollment, students must be in good academic standing and have no holds on their account. Priority Enrollment takes place on the established date for seniors to begin enrolling for the next semester.
TRIO programs such as Project Stay are able to offer financial assistance to students who are classified as freshman or sophomores (fewer than 60 college credit hours completed). Grant Aid awards are offered in the spring and summer semesters only, are competitive, and are dependent upon students meeting both the legal eligibility requirements and requirements set by the Project Stay office. Grant Aid award amounts vary depending on the number of eligible students as well as the amount of funds available in the Project Stay budget.
Eligibility (legal requirements):
Requirements (set by Project Stay office):
The Project Stay program is funded to serve a set number of students per academic year. Freshmen will not be admitted until mid-term grades are checked. Once the program has reached capacity, students who apply will be put on a waiting list for entrance into the program. In addition, Project Stay must maintain certain ratios of students who meet the first-generation, low-income, and disability guidelines which may also require a student to be placed on the waiting list.
Applicants to Project Stay may be denied admission for a number of reasons, including:
No. Once a student has completed a bachelor’s degree they are no longer eligible to participate in Project Stay. This is a guideline from the US Department of Education put in place for all TRIO programs.
