 Category:
Financial Student Affairs Responsible Office:
|
Procedure Title:
Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship Program, Guidelines Document Number:
7803 Effective Date: January 24, 2006 This procedure item applies to: State-Operated Campuses Statutory Colleges |
The Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship (ESDHS) Program is a scholarship of direct aid to attract and retain undergraduate students to State University of New York (University) campuses who have demonstrated high academic achievement and can demonstrate that they will contribute to the diversity of the student body.
University state-operated and community colleges are eligible to participate in this program.
Participating campuses are required to match state funds received for this program on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Federal Title IV financial aid funds cannot be used as matching funds.
III. Student Eligibility and Selection
A. Each campus is responsible for establishing a procedure for selecting award recipients.
B. The process must include an opportunity for student applicants to indicate interest in the scholarship program and information necessary for the campus to determine eligibility.
C. The following requirements and guidelines should assist in the selection process:
1. Academic Criteria
Eligible students must be enrolled in a degree program and have demonstrated high academic achievement. It is the responsibility of each campus to define the criteria for high academic achievement for its own scholar selection process. Although it is strongly recommended that Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship recipients participate in a campus honors program, this is not a prerequisite for campus participation or student selection. They may be enrolled less than full-time providing they continue to meet the campus definition for high academic achievement.
Recipients are not required to demonstrate financial need. However, to determine eligibility for other state and federal financial aid, all recipients should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Participants must be:
(a) U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens and
(b) New York State residents, who will make a contribution to the diversity of the student body in their program or school, primarily by demonstrating that they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education.
Even though financial need is not a requirement for program eligibility, applicants may utilize economic disadvantage as a basis for eligibility. Membership in a racial/ethnic group that is underrepresented in the program or school for which the student is applying may serve as a plus factor in making awards, but may not form the sole basis of such an award and every student applicant shall be evaluated on his or her own merits. The campus application process may require that the student self-declare a racial/ethnic category.
A. The maximum student award available under this program is one-half the student’s cost of attendance or $3,000, whichever is less, to be matched in an equal amount by the campus. There is no minimum award.
B. All ESDHS program funds must be matched with at least an equal amount of campus funds.
C. Selected students who are eligible must apply for and utilize all Pell Grant and Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award before the Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship can be applied. The amount of the total ESDHS, including the campus-matching share, cannot exceed the difference between the total cost of attendance and financial aid received. It is the intent of this program that recipients continue to receive ESDHS support while enrolled at the campus granting the scholarship, provided the student meets the required academic criteria established by that college.
V. Allocation of Scholarship Funds to Campuses
University system administration will allocate funds to campuses.
A. Campuses are required to submit an annual summary of scholarship recipients to University system administration. The summary will include:
1. student ethnicity and
2. academic information such as:
B. Future allocations are dependent upon submission of this report.
C. Campus must retain supporting detail and documentation of student eligibility for reporting and auditing purposes.
There are no forms relevant to this procedure.
There are no related procedures relevant to this procedure.
State University of New York Board of Trustees Resolution 87-115, adopted June 24, 1987 authorized the establishment of guidelines for and to plan for implementation of the State University’s Empire State Minorities Honors Scholarship Program.
State University of New York Board of Trustees Resolution 84-158, adopted June 27, 1984, regarding guidelines reaffirming affirmative action for minority students.
There are no appendicies relevant to this procedure.