Scholarships & Financial Aid
- Purpose:
The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics administers financial aid awards in the form of competitive scholarships, non-competitive scholarships, tuition and fee payments, and stipends.
Procedures:
PT. I:
PT. II:
PT. III:
PT. IV:
PT. V:
Document & Approval for Scholarships and Financial Aid Payments
PT. VI:
Communication of Scholarships Available
Review and Responsibility:
- Responsible Party: Director, NSM Business Operations
- Review: Every two years, on or before August 31
Approval:
- Director, NSM Business Operations - Fred McGhee
- Dean, NSM - John Bear
- Date of Dean's Approval: 09/01/2008
I: Competitive Scholarships
Definition: Competitive scholarships are those scholarship awards based on selective criteria. The recipient is chosen by a committee.
Administration: The competitive scholarship process is administered by two department committees, the Undergraduate Committee and the Graduate Committee.
Selection Process: Each year the department scholarship committees determine the type, amount, and number of scholarships that will be offered during a given year. Nominations are solicited from the faculty members for students who meet the eligibility criteria. The nominees provide scholarship application materials that are required by the department. The scholarship committees review the applications and select the most eligible candidates.
Disbursement: The award will be credited to the student as follows.
- Graduating Students - will receive a stipend check. A Purchase Voucher will be prepared by the department to request the stipend check.
- Returning students - the student's financial aid account will receive a credit in the fall semester upon verification of enrollment.
Reconciliation: Prior to each semester each scholarship committee, departmental chairman, and any appropriate Associate Dean will be given a list of all available scholarships along with the current balance. A statement will be added to report that all effort should be made to ensure that no more than a 10% balance should be carried forward. The department is responsible for maintaining a list of competitive scholarship recipients and ensuring the award is correctly posted to the university financial system (PeopleSoft) using the proper PS account code.
II: Non-Competitive Scholarships
Definition: Those scholarship awards that do not have selective criteria. These awards may be need-based or awarded from funds donated by a sponsor for the purpose of providing a financial award to a student.
Selection Process: The recipient of a non-competitive scholarship may be pre-selected by a donor/sponsor, or may be awarded the non-competitive scholarship on a need basis.
- Pre-Selected Recipients. Some donors/sponsors choose to provide financial aid/scholarships to students enrolled at the University of Houston. These sponsors may have their own selection criteria for choosing the student. The process for donating the funds should include a check made payable to "University of Houston" and a letter or other written agreement detailing the purpose of the funds.
- Need-Based Recipients. Faculty members and principal investigators may wish to provide financial aid awards to students in need or to help ensure student excellence. This type of award is made from non-restricted funds. These non-competitive scholarships are considered to be institution based financial aid and must follow the university guidelines for this type of aid.
Disbursement: The department will prepare the document necessary to issue the student's award. Payment may be in one of the following forms of payment and may be dependent on the sponsor's letter of agreement.
- Scholarship (credit to the student's financial aid account via Scholarship Award Memo).
- Stipend (check issued to student and requested by Purchase Voucher).
Reconciliation: Prior to each semester each scholarship committee, departmental chairman, and any appropriate Associate Dean will be given a list of all available scholarships along with the current balance. A statement will be added to report that all effort should be made to ensure that no more than a 10% balance should be carried forward. The department is responsible for maintaining a list of competitive scholarship recipients and ensuring the award is correctly posted to the university financial system (PeopleSoft) using the proper PS account code.