University Scholars Program UPPS No. 02.05.03
Issue No. 3
Effective Date: 03/30/2009
Review: May 1 E4Y
01. POLICY STATEMENT
01.01 The University Scholars Program
provides financial assistance to a limited number of first-time freshmen who
have demonstrated superior achievement and potential.
02. GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY
02.01 Limited to incoming freshmen and
funded through Student Service Fees by authority of a student election in 1972,
the University Scholars Program awards up to sixteen scholarships (two per
undergraduate college and the University College) each spring to students
entering Texas State for the following fall semester. The program will consider
incoming freshman even though they have registered for college credits in an
early admissions program while enrolled concurrently in a high school.
02.02 The awards are $3,000 yearly ($1,500 each
semester) for a maximum of four years ($12,000). While a University Scholar
awarded another scholarship funded from Student Service Fees (University Honors
Scholarships) may accept only one of them, he or she may choose which one to
accept. A University Scholar may, however, accept other scholarships awarded
through Texas State, as well as any awarded by outside agencies.
02.03 For continued eligibility, a
University Scholar is expected to complete a minimum of twelve credit hours
each long semester (or the annual equivalent) and maintain a Texas State
cumulative GPA of 3.25 (the dean of each college may make exceptions). Scholarship
support is limited to a total of four years.
03. PROCEDURES
FOR COORDINATION OF UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS
03.01 The Director of Financial Aid and
Scholarships will review the policies and procedures in June of each year and
will make any recommendations for policy or procedural changes to the Associate
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing for review by the Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs and academic deans.
04. PROCEDURES
FOR PUBLICITY AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
04.01 Financial Aid (Assistant Director of Financial
Aid and Scholarships) will forward completed applications, postmarked by
December 1, to the appropriate college dean for consideration.
05. PROCEDURES
FOR SELECTION OF SCHOLARS
05.01 The Assistant Director of Financial
Aid and Scholarships will forward the applications to the appropriate college
dean for consideration. The college dean (or designee) will convene a selection
committee chosen from the faculty of that college.
05.02 The selection committee will rank the
applications and the dean or designee will forward the ranking to the Assistant
Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships so that a student does not receive
both a University Scholars Award and a Lonestar Scholarship.
05.03 The Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
will send letters to the top sixteen students notifying them of their
scholarship and asking for their acceptance of the scholarship by the National
Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) national candidate’s reply
date which is May 1. If that student declines the scholarship, the Associate
Vice President will send an award letter to the next student on the list that
the Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships has identified as not
receiving a Lonestar Scholarship.
05.04 When all students have accepted their
University Scholars award, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid and
Scholarships will forward the names and identification numbers to each dean.
05.05 The Assistant Director of Financial Aid and
Scholarships will draft a follow-up letter to the awardees notifying them of
the amount of the award, disbursement information and requirements for
continued eligibility.
06. PROCEDURES
FOR DETERMINING CONTINUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
06.01 At the end of each spring semester, the dean will receive a reminder from
the Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships to review the academic
performance of University Scholars in that college. By May 30, the dean
will notify the Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships of the
student's continuation for the next year or, if the academic record so
indicates, dismissal from the program. In the case of dismissal, the Assistant
Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify the affected student.
06.02 If a University Scholar is suspended
in mid-year or withdraws from the university, the appropriate dean will notify
the Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships who will cancel the
scholarship.
06.03 If a
University Scholar wishes to change colleges, the Assistant Director of
Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify the deans of both the college that
awarded the scholarship and the one in which the student wishes to enroll.
After conferring, the deans will forward their decision to the Assistant Director
of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
06.04 The program
will not fill a vacancy caused by resignation, dismissal, or lack of a
qualified candidate occurring in the second or subsequent year of the four-year
scholarship term. The dean, at his or her discretion, can fill a vacancy that
occurs in the first year of the four-year scholarship, with an alternate from
the most recent pool or during the next annual cycle as an additional
scholarship. The
dean should notify Financial Aid (Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
and Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships) about such a decision
prior to Financial Aid conducting University Scholars Award projections for the
next academic year, which typically occurs on February 1.
07. REVIEWERS
OF THIS UPPS
07.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Associate Vice President
for Enrollment May 1 E4Y
Management and Marketing
Director, Financial Aid
and Scholarships May 1E4Y
08. 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.
Associate Vice President
for Enrollment Management and Marketing; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
President