Tomorrow, Dec. 11, there will be a meeting for juniors wishing to complete their A+ tutoring hours second semester in the auditorium at 2:30 p.m. The deadline for seniors to complete A+ tutoring is January 2013.

“It’s mandatory for any student who wants to work on A+ hours for next semester,” five-year FHN counselor Ann Herman said.

According to Herman, who is in charge of the program for FHN, there will be a new requirement for those in the class of 2015 who wish to complete the A+ program. Students who wish to earn two years of free community college tuition must score Proficient or Advanced on their Algebra 1 EOC. However, there will be options for students who are not able to meet this new requirement.

FHSD will allow students to retake the EOC if they don’t meet the standard. The state of Missouri will grant free tuition for those who don’t pass with Proficient or Advanced but enroll in community college and earn a 2.5 GPA the first semester.

“We feel like with the help that the District is giving and the provision by the state, students shouldn’t have to be worry about the extra requirement,” Herman said.

For senior Rachael Garrelts, the A+ Program is way to help pay for the cost of college. Having completed the program the second semester of her junior year, Southeast Missouri State is giving her an $800 scholarship for next year.

“It’s 800 extra dollars,” Garrelts said. “It felt good to help the kids and it’s going to pay off because I won’t have as much to pay in student loans.”