Students notified of scholarship change
A letter from Todd Olsen, admissions and scholarship director, was sent out to all students of the College of Eastern Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 stating that a change has been implemented in the academic progress policies in the scholarship process. Complaints have rumbled from building to building around campus, and misunderstandings have taken place. It’s time to get to the bottom of the scholarship policy and the reason for which it has been altered.
This archived article was written by: Kelli Burke-Gabossi
A letter from Todd Olsen, admissions and scholarship director, was sent out to all students of the College of Eastern Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 stating that a change has been implemented in the academic progress policies in the scholarship process. Complaints have rumbled from building to building around campus, and misunderstandings have taken place. It’s time to get to the bottom of the scholarship policy and the reason for which it has been altered.
In the letter, Olsen noted that in the past, if a student did not meet the requirements of their scholarship, they were placed on probation and given an opportunity to improve the following semester before suspension of the scholarship. Beginning fall semester 2009, if a student does not meet the requirements of their scholarship, their scholarship will be suspended. Students will still have the chance to appeal the suspension in a written process, filing a scholarship appeal to the scholarship appeals committee. Appeals will be considered on an individual basis and overturned for extenuating circumstances. The continuance of the scholarship will either be approved, retroactive, or denied.
According to Olsen, the idea of the revision of the policy didn’t come from one person in particular. In fact, the initial policy didn’t support the scholarship requirements in the first place. The change is actually how it should have been all along, since 1979 when the policy first originated.
The decision was overall made by the ad-hoc committee of the college senate in August 2009. The college senate initiated the update and revision of the scholarship policy. The policy only applies to students with scholarships issued by CEU. If a student has obtained scholarships from other programs outside out CEU, they will have to refer to the scholarship requirements of the provider. It is up to the scholarship provider to set their own requirements and probate or suspend the scholarship when needed.
For CEU academic and ambassador scholarships, a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher with 12- to 19-credit hours each semester. For departmental, private and leadership scholarships, a student must maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher with 12- to 19-credit hours each semester.
Suspensions will be determined when grades are posted at the end of each semester. If a student appeals and is denied, the scholarship amount will be removed from their account. They will not have any fines; they won’t have to refund the amount of the scholarship. To receive another scholarship from CEU, the student will have to attend a semester without financial assistance from CEU and prove they can improve their performance, meeting the requirements for returning student scholarships.
In the 2008-2009 school year, 118 scholarships were put on probation; 41 were suspended. According to Olsen, approximately 30 percent of students decline scholarships from CEU every year. He estimates that 25 percent of students will appeal the suspension this year.
Olsen is available at most hours of the day for any questions about the new scholarship policy. He can be found in the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center office #211.
