Nicholls State University

Nicholls logo

Athletic scholarships may include all or part of tuition, fees, room, board and course-related books. Student-athlete scholarships will not pay for parking decals or tickets, traffic fines, library fines, housing deposits, dormitory damage charges, new student orientation fees, post office rental, student ID cards, international taxes or health insurance coverage.

RENEWALS AND NON-RENEWALS

Athletic scholarships are awarded for a period not to exceed one year. It is important to note that scholarship amounts may increase or decrease on a yearly basis. On or before July 1, student-athletes must be notified as to whether their scholarship for the up-coming year has been renewed, reduced or not renewed. With this in mind, student-athletes should take personal responsibility to assure their scholarship continuation. Those individuals whose grant-in-aids are reduced or cancelled have the right to an appeal. The non-renewal letter will contain information concerning the student’s right to appeal. Please refer to NCAA Bylaw 15.3.4 for more information.

REDUCTION AND CANCELLATION OF FINACIAL AID

In accordance with NCAA Bylaw 15.3.4, financial aid may be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award if the student-athlete:

Renders himself/herself ineligible for competition;

or Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;

or Engages in serious misconduct (as identified in the Nicholls State University Code of Student Conduct, pages 4-5) warranting substantial disciplinary penalty;

or Voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons; however, the recipient’s financial aid may not be awarded to another student-athlete in the academic term in which the aid was reduced or cancelled.

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP APPEALS PROCEDURE

In accordance with NCAA Bylaw 15.3.2.3, “The institution’s regular financial aid authority shall notify the student-athlete in writing of the opportunity for a hearing when institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability is reduced or cancelled during the period of the award, or is reduced or not renewed for the following academic year. The institution shall have established reasonable procedures for promptly hearing such a request and shall not delegate the responsibility for conducting the hearing to the university’s athletics department or its faculty athletics committee. The written notification of the opportunity for a hearing shall include a copy of the institution’s established policies and procedures for conducting the required hearing, including the deadline by which a student-athlete must request such a hearing.

Process for Athletics Financial Aid Appeal

The decision to reduce, cancel or not renew a student’s athletically related financial aid is made by the head coach of the sport in consultation with the Athletics Director. If a student’s financial aid will be reduced, canceled or not renewed, the following procedures will be implemented:

1. Written notification of the reduction or nonrenewal will be provided to the student by the Office of Financial Aid no later than July 1.

2. Written notification of the cancelation of aid during a school year will be provided to the student by the Director of Financial Aid prior to the imposition of the cancelation of aid during a school year.

3. The notification will include information about the opportunity for a hearing.

4. The notification will explain that the hearing will be a review of the written documentation submitted by the student and the Department of Athletics as well as any additional resource information needed by the committee to reach a decision on the matter.

5. The notification will explain that the student has 10 work days from the date of the notification to submit a request for a hearing in writing to the Director of Financial Aid.

6. The notification will explain that the composition of the committee that will conduct the hearing is the Faculty Athletics Representative and four members of the University community appointed by the Director of Financial Aid of which at least one must be a faculty member and at least one must be a student. In the absence of the Faculty Athletics Representative, the Chair of the Athletics Council may serve on the Committee.

7. The Committee will conduct the hearing within 10 work days of the receipt of the student’s request for a hearing.

8. The Committee will review all information submitted by the student and the Department of Athletics. It may also request additional information from the student, Department of Athletics or other University officials as needed to determine the appropriate recommendation to submit to the President of the Institution.

9. The Faculty Athletics Representative will chair the committee and can vote to any matter before the committee. A simple majority vote of the Committee is sufficient to reach a decision.

10. The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the Department of Athletics followed NCAA Bylaws and University and Athletics Program policies when making the decision to reduce, cancel or not to renew aid.

11. The Committee will forward its recommendations on the matter to the President within 10 working days of the inclusion of the hearing.

12. The President will issue a decision on the matter within 10 work days of receipt of the recommendations forwarded by the Committee.

13. The President’s decision is final.

PREGNANCY POLICY

Scholarships may not be cut or reduced due to pregnancy. As per NCAA Bylaw 12.8.1.3, a female student-athlete may be granted an extension of the five-year period of eligibility for reasons of pregnancy.

IMPERMISSIBLE FINANCIAL AID

NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from receiving the following financial benefits: Any special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase that is not otherwise available to the general public.

An interest free loan of money.

Money from the sale of a complimentary ticket.

Money from the sale of textbooks, athletics equipment or athletic apparel item provided by the university.

Prizes associated with participation in promotional contests involving athletics skills.

Benefits connected with on-campus or off-campus student-athlete’s housing (e.g., individual television sets or stereo equipment, specialized recreational facilities, room furnishings or appointments of extra quality or quantity).

ON CAMPUS ROOM AND BOARD SCHOLARSHIP POLICY

Students who are awarded “full” room and board scholarships shall receive a scholarship amount equal to the value of room rent charged for a semi private suite for the “new” residence halls, or the actual cost of the room rent charged the student whichever is less; and a scholarship amount equal to the base meal plan (currently Silver) each semester or the actual cost of the meal plan selected, whichever is less. Students who live in suites or facilities that cost more than the base rate noted above and or select a higher cost meal plan resulting in charges greater than the base (silver) meal plan will be responsible for paying the difference. The scholarship awarded will not cover these additional costs.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Funding for summer school is subject to approval by the Director of Athletics based on a recommendation from the student-athlete’s head coach. Student-athletes must obtain prior approval by the appropriate academic officials at Nicholls to take summer school courses at another two-year or four-year institution if these courses are to be utilized in determining their satisfactory progress as it relates to NCAA rules.

EXHAUSTED ELIGIBILITY AID

Funding for student-athletes who's eligibility has exhausted is subject to approval by the Athletics Director based on a recommendation from the student-athlete’s head coach. The Exhausted Eligibility Aid application for aid must be made through the Office of Compliance.

TEXTBOOK DISTRIBUTION AND POLICIES

Full scholarship athletes who receive books must obtain them from the University Bookstore.The following procedures should be adhered to:

Student-athletes will present their Nicholls I.D. at the University Bookstore to obtainbooks.

Student-athletes will sign for all books and materials they receive. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT-ATHLETE TO CAREFULLY INSPECT ALL BOOKS AND THEIR ACCESSORIES BEFORE SIGNING FOR THEM. If CDs or other supplemental materials are listed on the invoice and the student-athlete signs the invoice, the student-athlete is responsible for those materials. The supplemental material must be returned along with the book at the end of the semester. Failure to return all books and supplemental materials will result in the student-athlete being indebted to the University for the original price of the book.

Books will be returned to the designated area for student-athletes on specified days of book buyback at the end of each semester. Books are to be returned through the University Bookstore ONLY. No books or supplemental materials are to be sold or given by the student-athlete to anyone other than the University Bookstore.

Books and supplemental materials obtained from the University Bookstore are the property of the Nicholls Athletics Department and are for the use by the student-athlete ONLY.