UTA Legal Docs

SL-FA-PR-01 Scholarships Procedure

I. Title

Scholarships Procedure 

II. Objective

This procedure establishes the policies and procedures for the establishment, awarding, and disbursement of scholarships at UTA. 

To assure compliance with regulations of the Board of Regents, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the federal government, the following policies and procedures are established.

III. Scope

Applies to all University departments that award University scholarships.

IV. Procedure

A. Coordination

The Executive Director of the Office of Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veteran Affairs, or his or her designee, will be responsible for the coordination of all scholarship benefits.All awards to or on behalf of a student must be processed through the Scholarship Office to be ultimately accounted for by the Financial Aid Office.

  1. The Executive Director of the Office of Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Veteran Affairs, or his or her designee, will be responsible for the coordination of all scholarship benefits. All awards to or on behalf of a student must be processed through the Scholarship Office to be ultimately accounted for by the Financial Aid Office.

B. Scholarship Committee

  1. Each college, school, or other unit awarding scholarships must designate a Scholarship Committee Chair. The Committee Chair is responsible for assuring that all certifications on the Scholarship Disbursement Form are true and accurate.
  2. The signature of the Scholarship Chair will be kept on file in the Scholarship Office to be matched against the signature on the completed Scholarship Disbursement Form.

C. Request for Disbursement of Scholarship/Fellowship Award Form (Scholarship Disbursement Form)

  1. The completed Scholarship Disbursement Form authorizes payments of scholarship funds to students and must be turned in to the Scholarship Office (252 University Administrative Building) for processing.
  2. The form must be signed by the Account Administrator.
  3. The form must also be signed by the Scholarship Committee Chair before funds can be processed.

D. Enrollment

  1. Enrollment for the period of the award is required to activate the funds.
  2. Scholarship Disbursement Forms can be processed by the Scholarship Office any time prior to the period of the award, anytime during the award term, and up to two weeks after the end of finals each term.
  3. Forms submitted after that date will be considered exceptions and must be accompanied by justification for the delay. They will be reviewed by the Executive Director on a case-by-case basis.
  4. Exceptions will not be approved for awards requested for any time period prior to the current fiscal year.

E. Disbursement

  1. Scholarship awards are disbursed once per term. Multiple disbursements or pro-rations in a single term may be perceived as an employer/employee relationship by the IRS and may be referred by the Scholarship Office to the UTA Payroll Office for payment.
  2. All funds are credited to the student account and applied first to any outstanding University charges. Residual funds will be returned to the student.

F. Waiver of Nonresident Tuition for Recipients of Competitive Scholarships (Texas Education Code Section 54.213)

  1. Scholarship recipients who are nonresidents of Texas or citizens of a country other than the United States of America may be eligible to pay the in-state tuition rate if the scholarship awarded meets all of the following conditions:
    1. The award be at least $1,000 for the period of time within the academic year covered by the scholarship, not to exceed 12 months.
    2. The award must be granted by an official UTA Scholarship Committee or Committees.
    3. The award criteria must be published and available to the public in advance of any application deadlines.
    4. Both the award funds and the selection process must be under the control of the institution.
    5. The award is open to both residents and nonresident to apply and/or to be considered.
  2. The term of the award and accompanying tuition benefit is institutionally defined as a fall-spring-summer academic year. The tuition benefit for the year, or any portion of the year, then, terminates at the end of summer.
  3. Exceptions to late scholarship processing will not include the waiver of out-of-state tuition. The Scholarship Committee Chair is responsible for determining that all requirements for the waiver are met and for signing off to that effect on the Scholarship Disbursement Form.

G. Scholarship Restrictions

  1. All scholarship gift agreements must be drafted and approved by University Advancement. Gifts for scholarship support may be designated for any of UTA’s school, colleges or programs. Donors of scholarship gifts above minimum thresholds set by University Advancement may choose to add additional restrictions to their scholarship awards. The minimum threshold level is currently $25,000 for the creation of an endowed scholarship, or a commitment of $1,000 annually for at least 4 years for creation of an annual scholarship. Any donation agreement with the type of restrictions discussed in this section must be approved by the Vice President of University Advancement or designee and the Chief Legal Officer prior to acceptance by UTA. Endowed scholarship agreements must be approved by UT System.
  2. Donors may desire to attach specific criteria for scholarships when they make a gift. Federal and state laws, and UTA policies may restrict UTA’s ability to accept funds for scholarships that are limited to certain protected classes of individuals. It is usually better to state classifications as non-exclusive preferences rather than absolute restrictions in scholarships. Although preferences are still subject to the same level of legal scrutiny that absolute restrictions would be, they are not absolute and thus permit greater flexibility in interpretation and application.
  3. Scholarships that provide a preference based on race/ethnicity or national origin are generally prohibited. Scholarships that provide a preference based on sex are strictly limited to those which take affirmative action to overcome the effects of conditions which resulted in limited participation by persons of a particular sex. Donation agreements that provide a preference for age, disability, veteran status, or religion may be acceptable with appropriate drafting.
  4. Any donation agreement with the type of restrictions discussed in this section must be approved by the Vice President of University Advancement or designee and the Chief Legal Officer prior to acceptance by UTA.
  5. Examples of acceptable restrictions, include but are not limited to:
    1. First generation in one’s family to attend college or graduate high school.
    2. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students (and include a variety of criteria).
    3. Individuals who have overcome substantial educational or economic obstacles.
    4. Membership in a [select organization] organization. (Organizations must be open to all but, the organization’s mission may seek to advance the needs of populations historically underrepresented in higher education) .
    5. Students who have taken coursework in [select country] studies.
    6. Students who have a demonstrated knowledge of [select country] history or culture.
    7. Students who are members of [specific organization] organization. (usually at UTA and can be an organization whose membership tends to be predominantly female or male. However, membership in those organizations must not be strictly limited on the basis of sex) .
    8. Students who are enrolling at UTA after more than ten years since last attending high school.
    9. Veterans or those receiving assistance under federal or Texas laws providing education benefits to veterans and their families.

H. Records

Appropriate records of scholarships and scholarship competitions will be maintained by the awarding or recommending unit, as applicable in accordance with the University’s records retention schedule, and available for review by UTA’s Office of Internal Audit.

V. Definitions

None 

VI. Relevant Federal and State Statutes

Texas Education Code, Title 3 Higher Education, Subtitle A Higher Education in General, Chapter 54 Tuition and Fees, Subchapter A General Provisions, Section 54.213 Scholarship Student 

VII. Relevant UT System Policies, Procedures and Forms

  • UTA Policy EI-PO-04 Non-Discrimination Policy 
  • UTA Procedure GA-IA-PR-01 Endowment Establishment and Management 
  • UTA Procedure GA-IA-PR-02 Gifts to the University 
  • UTA Form 21-1 Request for Disbursement of Scholarship/Fellowship Award 
  • UTA Form 21-2 Scholarship Committee Chair 

VIII. Who Should Know

UTA faculty, staff, and students.

IX. UTA Office(s) Responsible for Procedure

  • Responsible Officer: Senior Associate Vice President for Student Enrollment Services 
  • Sponsoring Department: Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships 

X. Dates Approved or Amended

  • November 26, 2018 
  • June 14, 2021 
  • August 19, 2021 

XI. Contact Information

  • All topics in Procedure: Scholarship Office 817-272-2197, http://www.uta.edu/scholarships
  • Send notifications of errors or changes to: policysite@uta.edu