04:26:00 Senators Scholar Guaranteed Scholarship

Purpose

This policy establishes the guidelines that govern eligibility and participation in the Senators Scholar Guaranteed Scholarship as part of the Walters State Promise.

Policy

1. Effective fall 2016, graduating seniors are required to have a minimum 3.7 unweighted high school Grade Point Average (GPA) (7th semester or final official high school transcript) and 24 national or state ACT (1170 SAT) composite score prior to the first day of the fall term immediately following high school graduation or spring term for mid-year graduates to be eligible for the Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship. Returning Senators Scholars recipients have been grandfathered in under the guidelines established for the class of 2015 and should follow the requirements set forth to maintain scholarship eligibility. No formal application is required; it is considered as part of the college application process by academic profile.
    
2. The Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship will pay $1,000 per semester. Any remaining cost will be the responsibility of the student. Federal regulations do not allow students to receive federal or state aid beyond the college’s established cost of attendance; it may be necessary for the aid package to be reduced to prevent an over award situation. This scholarship amount and renewal are contingent upon funding.
    
3. Students must enroll the first available semester after high school graduation and maintain full-time enrollment status (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester excluding audit courses) and be continuously enrolled excluding summer. Mid-year graduates may enroll in the fall term following high school graduation if they have not attended another college or university prior to enrolling at Walters State, or they may receive the award in the spring term immediately following high school graduation.
    
4. The Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship shall involve an obligation to the college of 75 hours per semester. A student who fails to complete the required 75 hours will be required to repay the scholarship for each hour not completed. The hourly rate is determined by dividing the amount of the scholarship by 75 hours. A student will have until the first day of the next subsequent semester to fulfill the required 75 hours per semester. Failure to fulfill the required obligations will result in the automatic forfeiture of the scholarship for subsequent terms.
    
5. Students will be required to meet with a representative from the Financial Aid Office at the beginning of each academic year to be assigned to a designated area within the college to complete the 75-hour obligation to the college. The assignments will be made with consideration to the student’s program of study when possible. Students must also complete a series of required online trainings prior to completing hours. Students that do not comply with these requirements will forfeit their eligibility for the Senators Guaranteed Scholarship.
    
6. Students must meet each of the standards below to maintain eligibility for the scholarship. Students that fail to meet any one of the standards as listed below will lose their scholarship eligibility. Student attainment of these standards will be evaluated at the end of each semester.
    
   1. Students must maintain an overall cumulative 2.75 college level GPA.
       
   2. Students must meet the Walters State Satisfactory Academic Progress standards as defined by the institution.
       
   3. Students must maintain a full-time enrollment status (12 or more credit hours per semester excluding audit courses) for the full length of term. Enrollment will be based on status as of the 14th day of the full term.
       
   4. Students must maintain continuous enrollment for the full length of the scholarship (excluding summers) up to four semesters.
       
7. Students will have a one-time option to regain the Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship if they lose the scholarship due to failure to meet the standards required to maintain eligibility. The student must submit a Request for Reinstatement form to the Financial Aid Office. Upon approval, the student will regain eligibility the first term after they have achieved or satisfied the required standard. Students that are placed on financial aid removal must file a financial aid appeal to be considered. Awards are not retroactive.
    
8. Students receiving the Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship may stack this scholarship with other Walters State Promise awards, Foundation scholarships, and the Access Achievement Award.
    
9. Students may be eligible to receive the Senators Dual Enrollment Supplement, if they meet the stated standards for the Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship and have earned at least 12 hours of college credit at Walters State Community College prior to high school graduation as a dual enrollment student [excluding Advanced Placement (AP) and Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)] with an overall 3.0 cumulative college level GPA. See Senators Dual Enrollment Supplement policy for additional requirements.
    
10. Students may receive the Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarship for a maximum of the first four continuously enrolled semesters at Walters State unless the student is enrolled in a program of study that requires six semesters such as: nursing, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapist assistant, surgical technology, or respiratory care. In this event, the Financial Aid Office may extend the scholarship for an additional two semesters. Students must submit a Request for Reinstatement form to the Financial Aid Office along with a copy of proof of acceptance into the program on or before the first day of class in the subsequent term or fifth semester. The scholarship is not available during the summer semester.
     
11. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office with questions regarding maintaining eligibility for the scholarship, including adjusting course schedule as this may impact future eligibility.
     

All Senators Scholars Guaranteed Scholarships are based on available funding.
Any exceptions to these policies must be approved by the President.

The preceding scholarship is established based on Tennessee Board of Regents Policy: 3:04:01:01, Section E, paragraph 1: The President or his/her designee is authorized to approve other scholarships/grants so long as the total amount of these and other academic scholarships and institutional grants funded under the policy do not exceed a maximum of 10% of total tuition and fees received by the institution in any one year.

05/16; 08/20; 8/22