Section 3356-8-10 - Student scholarships and grants, administration, and awarding(A) Policy statement. This policy governs the administration of scholarships and grants at Youngstown state university (YSU) and establishes principles, policies, and responsibilities for the awarding of scholarships. YSU awards scholarships to eligible students through funds provided by the YSU Foundation, private donors, the federal and state governments, university general funds and other external sources. The university's enrollment strategy relies, in part, on the use of student scholarships. Accordingly, the university's enrollment goals shall be aligned with its scholarship strategies. To ensure that annual scholarship spending is within the university's approved budget, and to ensure compliance with all state and federal laws and applicable student aid regulations, the administration of scholarships shall be centrally managed by the office of financial aid and scholarships. The associate vice president for student enrollment and business services shall have the final decision on the suitability of scholarship and grant expenditures.(B) Definitions. (1) "Scholarships" are financial support based on defined criteria and may be awarded on a one-time or renewable basis to defray the cost of direct tuition and fees charges and indirect college expenses (depending on award criteria) if the total amount of aid received does not exceed the recipients total cost of attendance. Donor agreements establish the award criteria for recipient selection (i.e., financial need, program of study, GPA, etc.).(2) "Grants" are funds based on defined criteria that typically requires financial need. Recipients are selected based on the award criteria set by federal or state requirements or established by the university.(3) "Institutional Aid" is funded by YSU's general fund or through undesignated and unrestricted scholarship funds the university receives from the YSU foundation. These scholarship and grant funds are awarded based on enrollment and retention strategies or by required donor award criteria.(4) "Prizes" are awarded during events or are based on competitions or other selection criteria; they act as scholarships for policy purposes.(5) "Fellowships and Graduate assistantships" are financial support awarded to students to defray tuition.(6) "Aid" means funds awarded to students, regardless of the funding source. Aid includes scholarships, grants, work-study employment, and student loans borrowed from federal and alternative loan sources.(7) "Cost of attendance" includes estimated tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, books, and personal expenses. These costs are established by the office of financial aid & scholarships based on the average or actual expenditures.(8) "Total financial aid package" means the aggregate amount of aid provided to a student from all funding sources.(C) Procedures. (1) Scholarships must be centrally administered by and awarded through the office of financial aid and scholarships.(2) In instances where student aid is decided outside of the centrally managed scholarship programs, it is the responsibility of the awarding authority/department to select students in accordance with donor stipulations in conformance with state and federal law, to adhere to all applicable rules and regulations pertaining to scholarships and aid, and to promptly communicate award recommendations to the office of financial aid and scholarships. Awarding authorities that do not comply with donor stipulations may be subject to disciplinary action.(3) A student's total financial aid package/offer cannot exceed the student's total cost of attendance, and, in the case of need-based scholarships, cannot exceed the recipient's unmet need. Upon notification by the office of financial aid and scholarships, aid may be disbursed to the student's account.(4) If a student's total financial aid package/offer exceeds the student's direct tuition, fee, book, and room and board charges, the student may be entitled to a refund. Scholarships may be refundable to the student to use towards indirect colleges expenses depending upon the terms of the scholarship. If a student receives additional aid after the calculation of the total financial aid package, certain forms of need-based financial aid may be subject to reduction. Loans will be reduced before any other aid sources, except if the terms of a particular award require that it be reduced before financial aid from any other source is reduced.(5) Scholarships may be awarded on a one-time or renewable basis. Renewable scholarships must have defined criteria for scholarship retention, such as GPA requirements, and specified limits regarding the maximum number of terms or credit hours to be covered.Ohio Admin. Code 3356-8-10
Effective: 10/9/2023
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3356.03
Rule Amplifies: 3356.03