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;
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(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
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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.
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(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.
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(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.
