Scholarship Policies and Procedures
Academic scholarships from the Office of International Affairs are offered to students who will study on campus in-person after the international admissions process. OIA academic scholarships are paid in two parts: one half in fall and one half in spring. There is no academic scholarship for summer. Renewal is based on GPA for undergraduate students and academic performance for graduate students. Specific requirements will be presented during on-campus orientation.
The GLC Housing Scholarship is paid in three parts: $1,500 in fall, $1,500 in spring and the remainder in summer. Students must live in an eligible on-campus hall or apartment to receive this scholarship. If a student does not live on campus in summer, the student forfeits that portion of the scholarship. The GLC Scholarship does not pay for empty room to store personal items. The student must occupy the room. Renewal is based on meeting the participation requirement. Specific requirements will be presented during on-campus orientation.
First-Time On-Campus Students
Although a student is offered an international student scholarship on the UNA Acceptance Letter, that scholarship will not immediately appear on the student's account. Scholarships are added individually. As each student completes pre-arrival requirements and notifies UNA of visa approval and travel plans, International Affairs will know to add the scholarship to student's account.
A first round of scholarships is sent to Student Financial Aid in mid-July for new fall semester students with confirmed visa and travel plans or mid-November for new spring semester students with confirmed visa and travel plans. As additional students notify UNA of visa approval and travel plans, scholarships for those students are sent to Student Financial Aid in a weekly update.
Scholarships will be visible once Student Financial Aid "posts" them to the student account. Pending scholarships can be seen below charges and are described as pending or estimated financial aid.
Scholarships will apply to the student account on the first day of the semester. This is when the amount is deducted from the student's charges.
A student must be registered full-time for the computer system to allow an academic scholarship to pay to the student account. Academic scholarships will not pay out to the account until full-time enrollment is achieved. During the pre-registration and registration time periods, once a student's enrollment meets the full-time requirement, the computer system will detect the full-time status and trigger the scholarship to be applied. This typically happens over a few hours. After the scholarship is paid to the student account, any reduction below full-time will cause the scholarship to be automatically removed from the student account. This may require a second submission by International Affairs.
A student must have an eligible housing assignment to receive the housing scholarship.
Continuing Students
Scholarships are sent to Student Financial Aid in late June and late November. Spring semester scholarships are sent in advance of end-of-semester review (see below) to facilitate payment plans, however, if review determines that a student's scholarship should be reduced or removed, that change will happen in December/January before the next semester begins.
Scholarships will be visible once Student Financial Aid "posts" them to the student account. Pending scholarships can be seen below charges and are described as pending or estimated financial aid.
Scholarships will apply to the student account on the first day of the semester. This is when the amount is deducted from the student's charges.
A student must be registered full-time for the computer system to allow an academic scholarship to pay to the student account. Academic scholarships will not pay out to the account until full-time enrollment is achieved. During the pre-registration and registration time periods, once a student's enrollment meets the full-time requirement, the computer system will detect the full-time status and trigger the scholarship to be applied. This typically happens over a few hours. After the scholarship is paid to the student account, any reduction below full-time will cause the scholarship to be automatically removed from the student account. This may require a second submission by International Affairs.
A student must have an eligible housing assignment and have satisfied the participation requirements to receive the housing scholarship.
At the end of each semester, the Office of International Affair reviews the UNA GPA* of undergraduate students who receive an academic scholarship from OIA. Undergraduate students are guaranteed the full value of the initial scholarship offer for the first two semesters regardless of UNA GPA. This is known as the First Year Guarantee.
At the end of the second semester and for each semester to follow, undergraduate students must maintain a 2.5 UNA GPA to receive the full value of the international student scholarship. Beginning with the third semester, students with an initial offer at the lower level are eligible for an increase to the maximum amount with eligible 2.5 UNA GPA. These would be effective in the third semester and for each semester to follow, based upon a review at the end of each semester.
Beginning in the third semester, students with a UNA GPA between 2.0 and 2.49 will receive a reduced scholarship amount. See below. Students with a UNA GPA below 2.0 will forfeit the scholarship. These would be effective in the third semester and for each semester to follow, based upon a review at the end of each semester.
A student who has a forfeited or reduced scholarship can regain or increase the scholarship to maximum value when the student's UNA GPA reaches a qualifying value.
*UNA GPA based on all grades earned at UNA, including grades earned in online courses. It does not include grades from transfer credits. It is not based on an individual semester; it is cumulative.
At the end of each semester, the Office of International Affairs reviews the academic performance of graduate students who receive an academic scholarship from OIA.
At the end of the first semester and for each semester to follow, graduate students must maintain A and B grades and no more than one grade of C to receive the full value of the international student scholarship.
Students who receive one or more lower grades will receive a reduced academic scholarship amount. See below. Multiple low grades will result in the forfeiture of the academic scholarship. Details will be presented during on-campus orientation.
Beginning with the third semester, students with an initial offer at the lower level are eligible for an increase to the maximum amount with eligible grades. These would be effective in the third semester and for each semester to follow, based upon a review at the end of each semester.
Because grades cannot be changed, any reduction in the scholarship amount is permanent.
At the end of each semester, the Office of International Affair reviews the participation of all students who receive a GLC Housing Scholarship. To continue eligibility for the GLC Housing Scholarship, students participate in eligible on-campus events and submit the required photos to the assignments in the GLC course with Canvas. In the fall semester, participation in "Passport to the World" is required for all recipients of GLC Housing Scholarship. These are review by the graduate assistant for the Global Learning Community. Details regarding eligible events are listed in the GLC course in Canvas; students are enrolled in the course by OIA upon their enrollment at UNA.
Students who do not submit all required events will forfeit the scholarship. A student who has a forfeited the scholarship must meet with Mrs. Cala Flippo to discuss eligibility to receive the GLC Housing Scholarship.
In addition, a student must have an eligible housing assignment to receive the housing scholarship.
Students with less than full-time enrollment due to graduation
In the final semester of study, if a student's final course load is not full-time, the university system will not automatically pay out the scholarship. International Affairs must give specific permission to award the scholarship with less than full-time enrollment.
First, the scholarship will be adjusted to a percentage amount according to the percentage enrollment of the student. For example, an undergraduate student must have 12 credit hours to be full-time. If the student only have 6 credit hours, then that is 50% enrollment. Therefore the scholarship will be paid at 50%. The tables below show other examples.
|
UNDERGRADUATE Number Credit Hours |
Percent Enrollment |
|
12 |
100% |
|
9 |
75% |
|
6 |
50% |
|
3 |
25% |
|
GRADUATE Number Credit Hours |
Percent Enrollment |
|
9 |
100% |
|
6 |
66% |
|
3 |
33% |
Then, to pay out the percentage amount, an override approval must be given from the Office of International Affairs. This is a part of the Reduced Course Load procedure as an F-1 or J-1 student will also require approval for less than full-time enrollment as a part of maintaining their F-1 or J-1 status. Students should complete and submit the Request for Reduced Course Load form.