PS-03.A.40 - Scholarship Administration for Credit Bearing Work
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 08, 2016
ISSUE #: 1
PRESIDENT: Michael A. Olivas (Interim)
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to define and set forth minimum criteria for the administration and oversight of all college and institutional scholarships in compliance with System Administrative Memoranda 06.B.02. This document assigns responsibilities and assists university personnel in complying with federal and state guidelines for scholarship management related to credit bearing student work.
DEFINITIONS
2.1 Financial Need: In those instances where financial need is a scholarship criterion, students' need will be defined by the U.S. Department of Education definitions and determined by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
2.2 Scholarship: Scholarships are gift aid awards based on selective criteria. Scholarships are given to or on behalf of a student for purposes of educational activity. A scholarship is not compensation for services rendered by the student for UHD. Depending upon the source of funds and related requirements, the recipient may be chosen by a university committee or by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
POLICY
3.1 The University of Houston-Downtown is committed to providing financial assistance to eligible students through scholarships, grants, loans, employment, and waivers. These assistance programs are funded by the federal government, the State of Texas, private donations, and other university sources, and are subject to the regulations and restrictions imposed by the funding sources.
3.2 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is responsible for recommending scholarships and financial aid policies and procedures to the responsible vice president or designee, and for administering the policies and procedures in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, donor restrictions, and UH System policies and guidelines.
3.3 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will publish and make available appropriate consumer information regarding aid programs, as required by applicable laws and regulations.
PROCEDURES
4.1 College-Administered Scholarships and Reimbursement
4.1.1 The procedural requirements for the college and institutional selection committee(s) must be written and maintained by the college and/or institution. The selection committee must discuss and document its approach to evaluating the relevant application components before reviewing the submissions. This process may be a matter of deciding how much emphasis will be placed on each component. The selection committee should establish the evaluation emphasis (such as weights in an evaluation matrix) before posting the scholarship announcement. The college and/or institution is responsible for maintaining a record of the standards used to determine awards.
4.1.2 Eligibility guidelines and selection criteria must be written and made public by the college/university. The college must also share this information with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and the Advancement Office (Endowments), which maintain selection criteria and procedural requirements.
4.1.3 Selection criteria and processes must comply with relevant federal, state, funding agency, and/or University of Houston System endowment and management guidelines and directives. Also, in cases in which the award was gifted to the college as an endowment, the college must ensure that all guidelines are in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between the donor(s) and the university.
4.1.4 As new scholarships are established, the college is responsible for notifying the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid of new scholarships and cost centers as well as the scholarship award criteria.
4.1.5 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is responsible for publicizing a master list of all university-wide scholarships on its website (publicly available) at least (21) days before the submission deadline. The college is responsible for publicizing the availability of its scholarships on its website (publicly available) at least (21) days before the submission deadline. All awarding units will communicate to the student that award(s) may impact the awardee’s financial aid package. Students should be advised to contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to determine the impact of the scholarship on their award package.
4.1.6 Under normal circumstances, the selection committee has (28) days from the application deadline to render its decision with supporting documentation, including meeting minutes and explanation of decision(s). Once the selection committee has made its decision and submitted the above mentioned documentation to the college office, the college has (14) days to submit a scholarship memo to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Scholarship payments will be made to students prior to the semester payment deadline. As such, scholarship memos must be submitted to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid based on the following schedule:
- Fall semester – 1st business day in July
- Spring semester – 1st business day in December
- Summer semesters – 1st business day in April
4.1.7 Payment of scholarship awards will be made through the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to Student Accounting. Student Accounting is responsible for applying the actual payment of the award.
4.2 Institutionally Administered Scholarships
4.2.1 The procedural requirements for the institutional selection committee(s) must be written and maintained by the institution. The selection committee must discuss and document its approach to evaluating the relevant application components before reviewing the submissions. This process may be a matter of deciding how much emphasis will be placed on each component. Alternatively, the selection committee should establish the evaluation emphasis (such as weights in an evaluation matrix) before posting the scholarship announcement. The institution is responsible for maintaining a record of the standards used to determine awards.
4.2.2 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is responsible for the oversight of college and institutional scholarships to ensure compliance with federal, state, institutional and University of Houston System policies and procedures.
4.3 Stewardship Requirements for Endowed and Other Outside Scholarships.
4.3.1 Scholarship recipients' names may not be released by the university or its staff if the scholarship criterion includes a component of need and/or if the student has opted out from the release of directory information.
4.3.2 Income distributed from endowment funds will be retained in individual cost centers so spending may be traced back to the endowment corpus. Nonendowed scholarships will be deposited in cost centers so spending can be traced to original revenue and/or gift.
4.3.3 All University of Houston-Downtown college and institutional scholarships must be made in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1965, Title IX of The Higher Education Act, as amended and all other federal and state regulations that seek to provide educational opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age disability, or veteran status.
4.4 Requirements for Management and Accounting for Scholarship Funds
4.4.1 Notification of new scholarship cost centers and criteria must be given to the Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid.
4.4.2 All funds received and/or disbursed for scholarships will be recorded with the appropriate fund codes and program codes (function) in the university’s financial records.
4.4.3 All funds received for scholarships should be awarded in accordance with the donors’ requirements, if any, and should be awarded within the period specified by the donor.
4.4.4 Each awarding unit is responsible for the monthly reconciliation of their scholarship accounts.
4.4.5 Each awarding unit is responsible for responding to requests for information regarding their scholarship accounts as requested by audit.
EXHIBITS
There are no exhibits associated with this policy.
REVIEW PROCESS
Responsible Party (Reviewer): President
Review: Every three years on or before May 1st.
Signed original on file in Human Resources.
POLICY HISTORY
Issue #1: 06/08/2016
REFERENCES