Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
(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.
