Scholarship Payment Policies (a) Payment of Scholarships Funds will be disbursed to the approved institution of the Governor’s Scholars choi...
Scholarship Payment Policies (a) Payment of Scholarships Funds will be disbursed to the approved institution of the Governor’s Scholars choice by state warrant. After verification of full-time enrollment, the institution shall disburse the Governor's Scholars Award to the student according to the individual institution's disbursement procedures. Disbursement of the Governor's Scholars award shall correspond with the institution's academic terms (semesters, trimesters, quarters, or equivalent time periods). In no instance may the entire amount of the award for an educational year be paid to or on behalf of the student in advance.
(b) Transfer to Another Institution of Higher Education A student who receives a Governor's Scholars Award may transfer to another eligible Arkansas institution of higher education, provided the recipient notifies the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education, in writing, of the change of institution by October 1 for the fall term, and by February 1 for the winter and/or spring terms. Failure to notify the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education by the specified deadlines shall result in the loss of the Governor's Scholars award for the term in question. (c) Scholarship Hold The Department Division of Higher Education may approve a scholarship hold for a student for a period of twenty-four
(24) months or less for the following reasons without limitation: (1) A medical condition of the student or a member of the student's immediate family that, on the basis of a physician's good-faith judgment, necessitates that the student or the student's immediate family member be hospitalized or receive outpatient or home-based medical care or recuperate until released by the attending physician; 9 (2) A personal or family emergency that requires the student to: (a) Attend the funeral of an immediate family member; or (b) Visit a relative of the student if the relative has a medical condition in which death is possible or imminent; (3) Military service under § 6-61-112; or (4) (a) A commitment of twelve (12) to twenty-four (24) months for service in a national or international humanitarian project sponsored by a nonprofit corporation organized with a charitable or educational purpose. (b) The student's commitment shall be expressed in a written agreement with the nonprofit organization, including the terms of completion for the student's service on the related project.
(c) The department division shall release a scholarship hold if the department division determines that the student did not complete the commitment under the written agreement. The recipient must submit a written request for a scholarship hold. The petition shall give the reason for withdrawal and be supported by documentation. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, the award will be revoked if the recipient fails to enroll fulltime in an eligible institution in Arkansas, and the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education receives neither notification of transfer of the scholarship to another eligible institution, nor a petition for withdrawal by the recipient by October 1 for the fall term and February 1 for the winter and/or spring terms. At the discretion of the Department Division of Higher Education, the award will not be revoked if it is determined by ADHE that extraordinary circumstances prevented the student from notifying ADHE by the required dates. (d) Cancellation of Governor’s Distinguished Scholar Award (1) The Governor's Scholars Award and the Governor’s Distinguished Scholar Award shall be terminated for any one of the following reasons: (a) Failure to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative college grade point average (Governor’s Scholars) or a minimum 3.25 cumulative college grade point average (Governor’s Distinguished Scholars) on a 4.0 scale and successfully complete and pass a minimum of at least twenty-seven (27) credit hours the first academic year and thirty (30) hours each academic year thereafter; (b) Failure to complete a baccalaureate degree within five years from initial college entrance; or (c) Failure to petition the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education for 10 a temporary withdrawal for two consecutive academic terms; or (d) Failure to enroll as a full time student in an eligible Arkansas college or university after a two-year temporary withdrawal.
(2) Failure by the Governor's Scholar to provide written notification to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education of a change in status (such as a transfer to another eligible institution, change in address, change in name, etc.) before appropriate deadline dates shall result in cancellation of the Governor's Scholars award for the term in question. (e) Refunds and Overpayments If a Governor's Scholar withdraws from an eligible institution, and under the refund policy of that institution the student is entitled to a refund of any tuition, fees, or other changes, the institution shall pay the refund amount in question to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education. Act 1180 of 1999 states that students who receive scholarships from public funds may not use those funds in a financial aid package to exceed the recognized cost of attendance at the institution where the student enrolls. The institution must follow ADHE policy in repaying public funds in the amount exceeding the total cost of attendance for any student who receives public funds in a financial aid package above the cost of attendance. Higher Education Institution Responsibilities
(a) Administrative Agreement The chief executive officer of the eligible institution is responsible for appointing one representative from the financial aid office to act as administrator of the Arkansas Governor's Scholars Program and to receive all communications, forms, etc. This representative is responsible for Governor's Scholars disbursement, completion of all forms and rosters, verification of data, and compliance with all Governor's Scholars Program rules and regulations. The institution must comply with the following responsibilities in order to maintain continued eligibility status. (b) Disbursement Records The institution shall maintain information on the student indicating disbursement of Governor’s Scholars funds. (c) Institutional Information Sheet The administrator is responsible for designating a certifying official responsible for certifying full-time enrollment and a disbursing official responsible for the disbursement of Governor's Scholars Program funds. 11 (d) Institutional Verification The institution shall provide certification to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education each semester after registration, giving the names of the Governor's Scholars who are officially enrolled as full-time students as of the end of the 11th class day of enrollment. This information is reported on a verification roster. The person responsible for verification of full-time enrollment is the registrar or a member of the registrar's staff. The certifying official is responsible for completing the verification roster twice a year for those schools on the semester system and three times a year for those schools on the quarter system. The verification roster shall be mailed to the Financial Aid Administrator prior to registration for the semester or quarter. The completed and signed Governor's Scholars verification roster shall be returned to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education by the dates specified on the roster. The verification roster is an alphabetical listing by institution of all persons receiving a Governor's Scholars award for a given academic term. Students who are not enrolled full-time in the current term shall not receive Governor's Scholars funds for that term. (e) Deadlines for Disbursement of Funds All funds must be disbursed within ten days of written receipt of funds. Any outstanding funds not disbursed by these dates must be returned within ten days to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education.
(f) Refund Policy It is the institution's responsibility to notify the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education of the name of the person who withdrew, the date of the withdrawal, and the refund amount. This information shall be placed on the institution's verification roster before the roster is returned to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education. The institution shall be responsible for the refund amount and shall pay that amount to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education.
(g) Continuing Eligibility It is the responsibility of each institution to complete annually the Continuing Eligibility roster. This roster shall be mailed to all institutions that have a Governor's Scholar enrolled. The Continuing Eligibility roster shall be returned to the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education by the date specified on the roster. The person responsible for completing the Continuing Eligibility roster is the Financial Aid Administrator. The Continuing Eligibility roster is an alphabetical listing by institution of all persons receiving a Governor's Scholars award that attended that institution for the academic year immediately preceding receipt of the Continuing Eligibility roster. The certifying official must complete the roster by providing the number of hours completed for the previous academic year and the cumulative grade point average achieved for each student listed.
12 (h) Due Diligence The institution shall exercise due diligence in providing complete, accurate, and timely information as requested by the Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education for any Governor's Scholar or former Governor's Scholar. In addition, the institution shall exercise due diligence in complying with all the rules and regulations of the Arkansas Governor's Scholars Program. The Arkansas Department Division of Higher Education shall periodically review the institution's records concerning the Governor's Scholars Program in an effort to exercise its due diligence requirements as a steward of State of Arkansas funds.
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