Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1)
Academic Qualifications and Standing of Eligible Students: A student is
considered academically qualified if he/she is currently enrolled and
matriculated at an approved institution, as defined in .03(2).
(2) Approved Institution: An approved
institution is a public or private, postsecondary institution which;
(a) is located within the State of
Alabama;
(b) is accredited by the
Southern Association of colleges and Schools, or an appropriate accrediting
association recognized by the Alabama Commission on Higher education;
and
(c) files a signed agreement
with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to comply with all regulations
and procedures of the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Team
Program.
(3) Direct
Educational Costs: Direct educational costs include tuition, fees, book and
supply expenses normally charged all students for enrollment in at an approved
institution as defined in .03(2).
(4) Eligible Student: An eligible student is
an applicant who completes an application for an All-USA Team application, and
(a) is selected for a scholarship on the
basis of the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program selection procedure
as defined in .03(2);
(b) is
classified as an undergraduate student, as defined in .03(16), or a
professional student as defined in .03(9);
(c) is a citizen of the United States, or is
in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and intends to become a
permanent resident of the United States;
(d) is enrolled in accepted for enrollment at
an approved institution, as defined in .03(2);
(e) has direct educational costs, as defined
in .03(3), that equal or exceed the amount of the scholarship awarded through
the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program;
(f) does not owe a refund on a grant
previously received through federal or state scholarship or grant programs;
and
(g) is not in default on a loan
made, insured, or guaranteed under the federal or state student loan
programs.
(5) False
Statement or Misrepresentation: Any person who knowingly makes or furnishes any
false statement or misrepresentation, or who accepts such false statement or
misrepresentation knowing the same to be false, for the purpose of enabling an
individual or institution to obtain monies wrongfully under this program, shall
be guilty of a Class A Misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be
subject to a fine or to imprisonment, or to both, as such misdemeanor is
defined in Act No 607, §33 of the 1997 Regular Session (Act 1977, No. 11,
p. 812).
(6) Matriculated Status:
To be eligible for an All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program
Scholarship, and eligible student, as defined in .03(4) must have completed all
the required steps in the enrollment procedure and be considered registered at
an approved institution, as defined in .03(2).
(7) Notification of Stipend Recipients: The
Chancellor of the Alabama College system is Responsible for notifying students
of their selection for the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program
Scholarships and the amount of their scholarships. copies of all such
notifications shall be provided to the Alabama Commission on Higher
Education.
(8) Phi Theta Kappa
Society; Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society for men and women
enrolled in two-year colleges.
(9)
Professional Student: A professional student is a student enrolled in a
professional course of study or program at an approved institution, as defined
in .03(2).
(10) Refund Policies and
Procedures:
(a) If a student transfers,
withdraws, or becomes ineligible for an All Alabama Academic Team Recognition
Program scholarship during the academic team of the award but prior to his/her
receipt of scholarship funds, the institutional financial aid administrator
will not disburse the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program Funds to
the student.
(b) If a student
withdraws from school or reduces his/her courseload after receiving the All
Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program funds, but before the end of the
academic term, and is not entitled to a refund in accordance with the
institution's refund policy, the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program
will not require a refund of any portion of the stipend which was utilized by
the student toward payment of the institution's net charges to the student for
the period of actual attendance However, if the All Alabama Academic Team
Recognition Program payment to the student exceeds the amount of the direct
educational cost to the student, the institution must return to the All Alabama
Academic Team Recognition program the refund amount and the institution must
maintain with the student's record documentation listing (1) the date the
student withdrew, (2) the net institutional charges to the student for the
period of the student's attendance, (3) the amount of the student's All Alabama
Academic Team Recognition Program.
(c) Any refunds or repayments made by an
institution to the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program on behalf of a
student, and which equal $25 or greater, may be utilized by the eligible
student for attendance at an approved institution within thirty-six(36) months
of the date the student was notified of the scholarship award by the Chancellor
of Alabama College System. The eligible student must request the Alabama
Commission on Higher Education to certify with the approved institution the
remaining scholarship eligibility.
(11) Scholarship: A scholarship is defined as
a merit-based financial award to the All Alabama Academic Team Recognition
Program recipient who is designated to be an eligible student, as defined in
.03(4), enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an approved institution, as
defined in .03(2), and is awarded to the student to defray direct educational
costs, as defined in .03(3).
(12)
Selection Procedure:
(a) To be eligible for
consideration for an All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program scholarship,
a student must be nominated by the college president to the All-USA Community
and Junior College Academic Team sponsored by USA Today, the American
Association of Community Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor
Society.
(b) Eligible nominees must
be eligible to graduate during the academic year in which they are nominated
and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25.
(c) Each eligible applicant must submit an
application to the All-USA Academic Team Review Committee. This Application
includes information about the following areas:
(1) activities, leadership, community
service, work experience;
(2)
academic recognition, honors, awards; and,
(3) previous course work.
(d) The judging process
established by the All-USA Academic Review Committee will be used to determine
the scores for each nominee. The top two ranked students from each college in
the Alabama College System will comprise the All Alabama Academic Recognition
Team Program recipients. The top ranked student will receive first-team
recognition; the second ranked student will receive second-team
recognition.
(13)
Stipend: A Stipend is the amount of the scholarship award granted to a
recipient. Award amounts shall be dependent upon funds designated for all
scholarship awardees. First-team designees will receive approximately
sixty-five percent (65%) of available scholarship funds for the year;
second-team designees will receive approximately thirty-five percent(35%) of
available scholarship funds for the year.
(14) Student Application Procedure: Each
applicant for an All Alabama Academic Team Recognition Program award must
submit to the All-USA Academic Team Review Committee a current All-USA Academic
Team application by the nomination and application deadline dates announced by
the All-USA Academic Review Committee.
(15) Tuition: Tuition is defined as the cost
of instruction and mandatory fees to the student as stated in the institution's
catalog, plus the average cost of books, supplied, equipment and other
educational-related expenses.
(16)
Undergraduate Student: An undergraduate student is defined as a person who is
in attendance at an approved Alabama postsecondary educational institution, as
defined in .03(2), and who is classified as an undergraduate student.
Author: William H. Wall
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §
16-5-14.
