University Scholarship Policy                                           UPPS No. 02.05.01
Issue No. 5
Effective Date: 12/16/2008
Review: August 1 E3Y

                                                                                                Attachments I, II, III, IV

 

 

01.       POLICY STATEMENTS

 

01.01  These policy guidelines establish principles, policies and responsibilities for coordination of scholarship activities throughout the university.

 

01.02  The university has designed these guidelines to insure fair treatment for all eligible students who apply for scholarship assistance.

 

02.       THE FINANCIAL AID ADVISORY, APPEALS AND SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE

 

02.01  The Financial Aid Advisory, Appeals and Scholarship Committee (comprised of two students, four faculty, two academic deans or their designees, Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Director of Undergraduate Admissions or a designee, and a representative from Students Affairs and University Advancement) is responsible for the development of general policy regarding the award of all undergraduate scholarships. In addition, while they do not specifically select scholarship recipients, the Committee members will conduct a review and overall assessment of the applications received from students who wish consideration for university scholarships. Financial Aid and Scholarships will then award these scholarships.

 

02.02  The Financial Aid Advisory, Appeals and Scholarship Committee has three primary charges:

 

a.    Recommend  to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing overall university policies for  all Texas State scholarship programs (see Attachment I);

 

b.    Recommend to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing policies regarding need-based aid; and

 

c.    Serve as the final body for appeals pertaining to financial aid eligibility and athletic scholarships.

 

     

03.       ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SCHOLARSHIPS ROLE

 

03.01  The Assistant Director of Scholarships is experienced in financial aid and responsible for the coordination of scholarship activities.

 

03.02  The primary functions of the Assistant Director of Scholarships include:

 

a.   Working with scholarship award groups and scholarship recipients to comply with federal regulations:

 

b.   Coordinating administrative activities to insure that documentation and information flow in a systematic and timely fashion;

 

c.   Coordinating federal and state financial aid for student athletes in conjunction with the Director of Compliance and in accordance with NCAA rules; and

 

d.    Assessing scholarship appeals (e.g. National and Assured scholarship programs) and making recommendations for appropriate actions.

 

04.       GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP POLICIES

 

04.01  The university will award university scholarships on a competitive basis, as early as the preceding school year and consistent with adequate safeguards to insure fairness and full publicity. Student athletes are eligible for academic awards; however, NCAA regulations shall take precedence when awarding academic scholarships to student athletes.

 

04.02  Scholarship applications will normally arrive in the office of the Assistant Director. In the instances when departments or schools elect to use the applications administered by Financial Aid and Scholarships, the requested applications will be duplicated and delivered.

 

04.03  Each department will provide the Assistant Director, in writing, the criteria for the selection of scholarship winners within each group (see Attachment II, Departmental Scholarship Transmittal Form). The university will use the information provided on this form to establish a Financial Aid Sub Code for the scholarship, which will allow the tracking and disbursement of individual scholarship funds.

 

04.04  Department, school, college and other award groups or committees will notify the Assistant Director concerning award decisions via the Scholarship Recipient List (Attachment III, Scholarship Recipient List-Fall and Spring  or Attachment IV, Scholarship Recipient List-Summer l &II).

 

a.    To assist with the coordination of aid and avoid students having to repay their financial aid, the recommended dates of departmental notification to Financial Aid and Scholarships are as follows:

 

1)   Incoming students: April 1st

2)   Returning students: May 1st

 

b.    The awarding group has responsibility for publicizing awards.

 

c.    All scholarship funds will be disbursed via Financial Aid and Scholarships. Scholarship funds will first be applied as a credit toward a recipient’s outstanding institutional charges. Funds remaining after this crediting process will be forwarded to the student.

 

04.05  In any given academic year, a student’s institutional scholarships and any other financial aid may not exceed a student’s financial need and cost of attendance, as determined by Financial Aid and Scholarships. When reduction of financial aid is necessary to resolve an over-award, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will first reduce the loans and work-study.

 

04.06  Students who receive Texas State scholarships may accept scholarships from external sources.

 

05.       REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

 

05.01  Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

 

Position                                                         Date

 

Director of Financial Aid and                     August 1 E3Y

Scholarships and Chair, Financial

Aid Advisory, Appeals and Scholarship

Committee

 

Assistant Director, Financial Aid               August 1 E3Y

and Scholarships

                       

06.       CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

 

This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships and Chair, Financial Aid Advisory Appeals and Scholarship Committee; senior reviewer of this UPPS

 

Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing

 

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

 President