RUL 02.71.01 – NC State University Scholarships Based on Merit Exceeding Cost of Attendance for Undergraduate Students

Authority: Issued by the Provost. Changes or exceptions to administrative regulations issued by the Provost may only be made by the Provost.

History: First Issued: April 1, 2008. Last Revised: August 23, 2011.

Contact Info: Associate Vice Provost and Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid (Phone: 919-515-2421 / Fax: 919-515-8422)

1. PURPOSE

1.1 Occasionally, undergraduate students may be offered multiple NC State University institutional scholarships based on merit with the sum total of such awards exceeding cost of attendance (as established by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid).

1.2 When total scholarship support based on merit exceeds cost of attendance for individual students, students in those situations in effect profit from attending college while other academically strong students receive little or no such scholarship support.

1.3 The purpose of this regulation is to establish caps on scholarship support based on merit for individual undergraduate students from all institutional scholarship sources, to enhance the university’s ability to best leverage limited scholarship funds for recruiting purposes.

1.4 For purposes of this regulation, “institutional scholarship based on merit” refers to any gift aid (scholarship, grant, fellowship or stipend) awarded to an undergraduate student with no service or repayment requirement and the student is chosen to receive such funding by an NC State employee.

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1 A Full Scholarship is an award that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies for an academic year.

2.2 A Scholarship Based on Merit is an award based on academic performance or ability only, and for which financial need is not a component.

2.3 A Resource is any gift award (scholarship, grant or other free benefit) providing support for a student without requiring the student to provide a service to the University.

2.4 Cost of attendance, in accordance with federal financial aid regulations, includes an allowance for tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. Cost of attendance figures reflect costs that similar student populations may be expected to incur during an enrollment period; such costs vary depending upon the student’s residency and housing arrangements.

3. CAPS ON SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT

3.1 The annual estimated undergraduate cost of attendance figures established by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid are the basis for determining scholarship caps for recipients of multiple institutional scholarships based on merit.

3.2 Full scholarship stipends are determined by the scholarship program administrator and are not limited to cost of attendance figures established by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

3.3 Recipients of full institutional scholarships may not receive other institutional scholarship support based on merit except for funding to cover periods of enrollment not funded by the full scholarship program. For example, scholarship recipients who choose to study abroad or enroll in summer school may be considered for institutional scholarship support from another source as long as the student does not otherwise receive such support from their full scholarship program.

3.4 Federal regulations require students to report to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid all aid received from all sources, including state, private and institutional funds, and including funds that are given to the student directly by another source (i.e., even if the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not directly disburse the funds to the student, the Office must be informed the student has received the funds). In addition, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid must assure that appropriate measures are in place within the University to capture any institutional scholarships or grants made to students by other campus officials.

3.5 A student may not receive combinations of institutional scholarships based on merit (scholarships from more than one program) exceeding cost of attendance as defined in 2.4 above.

3.6 “In kind” support provided by other University offices (such as free room and board) in exchange for services rendered to the institution, is not counted as a resource in determining the total institutional support being provided to an individual student.

4. ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT

4.1 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is responsible for monitoring the caps on institutional scholarship support based on merit for individual undergraduate students as set forth in this rule.

4.2 When awards offered to individual students exceed cost of attendance, as defined in 2.4 above, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will notify the scholarship administrator for each fund within three (3 )business days to resolve the overaward. The scholarship administrators for each fund have five (5) working days to resolve the overaward. If the administrators cannot reach an agreement to resolve the overaward, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will enforce the funding caps imposed in this rule by reducing or eliminating the award least favorable to the student, or by recharging the student if funds have already been disbursed prior to discovery of the overaward.

4.3 This rule only addresses institutional scholarships based on merit and not external scholarship support. Students may receive scholarships awarded by private donors without limitation.

5. EXCEPTIONS

5.1 One-time awards or honoraria of no greater than $1,000 given to students for special recognition of performance or service will not be affected by this regulation.

5.2 This regulation does not apply to recipients of athletic scholarship funds only, since NCAA regulations monitor limitations for such awards.