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The University of Utah Athletics
Financial Aid
The University of Utah Compliance Office provides comprehensive procedures to ensure the compliance with all financial aid requirements of the institution, Pac-12 and NCAA. This is accomplished by close involvement between the Eligibility Coordinator, the Compliance Office and the head coach. The accompanying information is intended to be an overview of the Financial Aid process. Please contact the Eligibility Coordinator or the Compliance Office with any additional questions.
Determining Financial Aid Figures
Tuition
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships receives tuition figures from Board of Regents and Utah State Legislature. Figures are reviewed and approved by the Athletics Director and the Associate Athletics Director for Compliance.
Room and Board
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and Eligibility Coordinator determine weighted average of rooms available through campus housing. Figures are reviewed and approved by the Athletics Director, the Eligibility Coordinator, and the Associate Athletics Director for Compliance.
Course-Required Books
NCAA has determined value to be $400 per semester.
Countable and Non-Countable Aid
There are two types of financial aid - "countable" aid, which is included in individual and team financial aid limits, and "non-countable" aid, which is financial aid that can be received without impacting individual and team financial aid limits. Student-athletes and coaches should always check with the Compliance Office before a student-athlete accepts any non-athletics aid, as any aid that a student-athlete receives up to the value of a full grant-in-aid may impact a student-athlete's equivalency value. In addition, individual student-athletes may not receive countable financial aid in excess of the Cost of Attendance.
Examples of "countable" aid:
- Government grants where the recipient or amount may be determined by the University of Utah
- Scholarships or aid programs awarded through the University of Utah (e.g., WUE/Western Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship)
- Financial aid awarded through an established and continuing outside program (e.g., National Football Foundation, National Merit Scholarship, etc.) for the recognition of outstanding high school graduates in which athletics participation may or may not be a major criterion
Examples of "non-countable" aid:
- Legitimate loans, based upon a regular repayment schedule, available to and administered on the same basis for all students
- An honorary academic award for outstanding academic achievement or a research grant published in the University's catalog, provided it is based upon the candidate's academic record at the University of Utah and is determined by competition among the students of a particular class or college at the University.
Terms and Conditions of Athletically-Related Aid
As a general rule, all student-athletes (freshmen and transfers) on a full or partial athletics scholarship may receive their scholarship for one year. However, the Athletic Department reserves the right to award aid on a semester-by-semester basis (except for student-athletes in their first year following the signing of a National Letter of Intent). Each year, student-athletes must sign a receipt acknowledging acceptance of their athletics aid for that year.
Renewal Receipt
A renewal receipt must be signed by the student-athlete and placed on file in the Registrar's Office before the student-athlete receiving athletics aid may practice, compete, or receive any benefits associated with his/her scholarship.
Renewals/Reductions/Cancellations of Athletically-Related Aid
The renewal or non-renewal of institutional financial aid must be made on or before July 1 prior to the academic year in which the aid will be distributed. Student-athletes receiving an athletics scholarship the previous year will be notified as to whether their aid has been renewed, increased, reduced, or cancelled. Athletics aid granted by an NCAA institution may not be awarded for a period of more than one year. At the end of each academic year, aid may be renewed, increased, reduced, or cancelled at the discretion of the institution.
Athletics scholarships may be reduced or canceled during the period of the award if a student-athlete:
- Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition in any manner, including failure to meet academic eligibility requirements or loss of amateur status (e.g., signing with an agent).
- Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent, or financial aid agreement.
- Engages in serious misconduct.
In order for a reduction or cancellation to take place, coaches and student-athletes must sign the Change of Status form, and return it to the Athletic Compliance Office. The Athletic Compliance Office will report the student-athlete's change of status to all relevant departments including Academic Counselors, Athletic Trainers, Equipment Room, Registrar/Eligibility Coordinator, Sport Administrator, and Sports Information.
Athletics scholarships may not be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award on the basis of:
Please note that outside of the period of the award, an athletics scholarship can be cancelled or reduced for any reason - including an athletics reason - at the discretion of the institution. If a student-athlete's scholarship is cancelled, reduced, or not renewed for any reason, the student-athlete has the right to appeal this decision to the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships within 14 business days.
International Student-Athletes
All international student-athletes receiving an athletics scholarship must meet with University of Utah Tax Services prior to receiving aid. A social security number is required for processing or awarding of financial aid. A student number (i.e. 00111111) is not valid. Please notify the Athletics Department's Director of Compliance and Eligibility Coordinator as soon as you have been assigned a social security number.
Athletics Aid for Injured Student-Athletes
If a student-athlete is permanently unable to compete due to an injury sustained during University-sponsored practice, competition, or team travel, the student-athlete's tuition costs may be continued (within six years of initial full-time collegiate enrollment) until the student-athlete receives a baccalaureate degree or until eligibility for athletics aid would have been exhausted. (Room and board may also be available for student-athletes in some sports.) This is not applicable for injuries occurring prior to enrollment at the University or injuries sustained outside Athletic Department sponsored participation. To qualify for this type of aid, a referral must first be made by Athletic Department trainers. The referral must include documentation from a physician that the injury or condition is incapacitating and that the student-athlete may no longer participate in intercollegiate athletics. Prior approval for this aid has to be cleared with each team's Athletic Department Supervisor. Room and board may be available to some student-athletes.
A student-athlete must meet the following requirements to continue to receive his/her aid:
If an injured student-athlete has recovered sufficiently to compete according to University medical staff and chooses not to participate, the University's decision to provide medical care and/or athletics aid will be terminated.
Student Managers
Student managers will be monitored by their respective coaches or supervisors. At the end of each year, their academic progress will be checked and if they are not succeeding academically, the department will recommend to the coach or supervisor that their athletics aid not be renewed. Former or current student-athletes may not serve as student managers.
Athletics Grant-In-Aid Award Procedure
In order to ensure that financial aid is not awarded in excess of NCAA limits, each head coach will receive an Athletics Grant-in-Aid form from the Eligibility Coordinator near the end of the academic year. This form will be accompanied by a current copy of the team's squad list. The head coach must complete the form by indicating what aid (if any) will be awarded for the following academic year. The head coach then returns the form to the Eligibility Coordinator for review.
This form will be sent 2-4 months prior to the start of the academic year for incoming student-athletes for Fall semester and 2-4 weeks prior to the start of the spring semester if aid is being awarded on a semester-by-semester basis.
Note: Aid cannot be awarded on a semester-by-semester basis for student-athletes who are in their first year at the University of Utah after signing an NLI with the U. Semester-by-semester awards must be noted in the original grant-in-aid agreement.
National Letter of Intent (NLI)
This document is designed to provide general information regarding the National Letter of Intent (NLI) process. In addition, the NLI protocol details below explain proper procedures for the preparation and mailing of the applicable NLI documents.
Please refer to the NLI website and the Request for Athletic Grant-in-Aid and National Letter of Intent (COMPfinaid_002) form that can be turned in to the administrative staff member that prepares each sport's NLI documents. Before issuing an NLI, please submit a completed Grant-in-Aid / Grant-in-Aid Renewal Spreadsheet (COMPfinaid_003) to the Eligibility Coordinator, Suzanne Jones (581-8972), in order to ensure that you will not exceed your team's equivalency or head count number for the 2006-07 academic year. The Spreadsheet also illustrates the manner in which aid is to be distributed.
For prospects who have never enrolled at a four-year college, no institutional tender offers may be signed prior to the initial date for the regular NLI signing period for a given academic year. After the final date for signing an NLI for a given academic year, an institutional tender offer must be signed in lieu of an NLI, but the prospective student-athlete may not use institutional facilities or participate in team workouts of any kind until his/her enrollment at the University the following fall or the start of permissible preseason practice.
Four-year transfer prospects do not sign a National Letter of Intent - only an institutional tender offer. Please see the Compliance Office regarding when/how they can work out after signing the tender offer.
If you have any additional questions, please see the Compliance Office or your sport's administrative staff member that deals with the NLI.
Fifth-Year Aid
Fifth-year athletics aid may be available to scholarship student-athletes who have completed their eligibility in four years. If a student-athlete has chosen to receive 3 terms of summer school aid, it is anticipated that no fifth-year aid will be awarded. Aid will be administered on a semester-by-semester basis. Any fifth-year student-athlete that does not complete each class satisfactorily in the first semester will not be eligible for aid the second semester. For example, if a course requires a minimum grade of C and the student receives a C-, the student will be responsible for future tuition for that class. Also, if a student gets below a 2.0 GPA for the semester, fifth-year aid will not be renewed. Student-athletes who wish to receive fifth-year aid must meet with their Athletics Academic Advisor and complete and submit a Fifth-Year Financial Aid Application during Spring Semester. The application will then be considered for approval by the Athletics Academic Services staff.
Criteria for consideration to receive fifth-year athletics aid are:
Failure to meet any of the above standards could result in forfeiture of fifth-year aid. Academic Advisors will complete mid-term grade checks to determine eligibility for room and board checks. Failure to attend class and perform as expected will result in forfeiture of room and board checks. A student-athlete has the right to appeal decisions regarding fifth-year aid.
The Director of Athletics may waive these criteria at his discretion. In addition, fifth-year athletics aid does not apply for summer school unless approved by the Director of Athletics. Please see Financial Aid: 5th-year Aid (COMPtips_010) for more information.
Summer School Aid Application Procedure
Student-athletes receiving athletics scholarships during the regular academic year are eligible to apply for summer school aid. Those who wish to apply for summer school aid must meet with their Athletics Academic Advisor to complete a "Summer School Aid Application" by the specified deadline during Spring Semester. A committee comprised of Academic Services staff will consider the application for approval. If a student-athlete chooses to receive aid for three terms of summer school, it is anticipated that NO fifth-year aid will be given to the student-athlete.
Criteria for consideration to receive summer school athletics aid are as follows:
NOTE: Room and Board checks will be available to student-athletes in some sports. However, Room and Board checks are not provided to student-athletes in these sports if they are enrolled in summer school in order to be eligible for the upcoming academic year.
The Director of Athletics reserves the right to waive the above criteria at his discretion. Please see Financial Aid: Summer School Aid for more information regarding procedures for receiving summer school financial aid.
Change of Status Form
The Change of Status (COMPfinaid_001) form serves to notify the Compliance Office, the Eligibility Coordinator, and all Academic Advisors of squad list and financial aid changes. Financial aid may not be cancelled/reduced during the period of the student-athlete's award except for reasons specified in the grant-in-aid award letter.
Each Head Coach is required to complete this form for:
Student-Athlete Employment
NCAA rules state that a Division I student-athlete may earn legitimate on and off-campus employment income at any time, provided the employment meets the following conditions:
Any compensation associated with legitimate employment does not count against individual or team financial aid limits.
A student-athlete wishing to work during the academic year must submit a Student-Athlete Employment (COMPamat_004) form to the Compliance Office prior to the commencement of his/her employment. At the conclusion of each semester, a follow-up form may be sent to the employer to verify that the terms outlined above have been met.
Student-athletes may also work during the summer provided all of the above conditions are met. The Athletic Department has a Summer Job Program that can assist student-athletes in obtaining summer jobs. Student-athletes should see Manny Hendrix, Director of Athletic Relations, for more information regarding this program.
Under limited circumstances, a student-athlete can teach private lessons in his/her sport. Student-athletes who wish to teach private lessons need to fill out the Student-Athlete Fee-for-Lesson Employment (COMPamat_005) form and clear the arrangement with the Compliance Office before beginning any private lessons. Documentation of the recipient of the lesson, date of the lesson, and fee paid must be periodically provided to the Compliance Office.
Special Assistance Fund
The Special Assistance Fund allows student-athletes to receive NCAA and institutionally approved monetary support for approved expenses. In order to receive support from the Fund, each student-athlete must visit the Compliance Office and complete an application form. The student-athlete must submit receipts and any necessary accompanying documentation in order to receive support.
Scholarship student-athletes receiving Pell Grants and international student-athletes submitting written documentation of unmet need will be considered for reimbursement from the Special Assistance Fund. The NCAA allows a student-athlete to receive moneys for up to $500 of necessary expenses such as food and clothing, and also allows student-athletes to be reimbursed for other expenses listed on the form (for which documentation must accompany the application form). The NCAA allots each institution a set amount of funds each academic year, and therefore not all applicants will receive funds from the Special Assistance Fund. Please review the Special Assistance Fund Guidelines for information regarding permissible recipients and uses for the Special Assistance Fund. Please see the Compliance Office for details.
Special Assistance Fund for Student-Athletes Guidelines
The Following Student-Athletes are Eligible to Apply for Funds:
1. Pell-eligible student-athletes, including student-athletes who have exhausted their athletics eligibility or no longer are able to participate because of medical reasons.
2. Student-athletes who are receiving countable aid and who have demonstrated financial need, including student-athletes who have exhausted their athletics eligibility or no longer are able to participate because of medical reasons.
1. Demonstrated financial need is defined as the cost of attendance minus expected family contribution prior to any athletics related aid or other aid being awarded.
2. Domestic student-athletes will have demonstrated financial need if they qualify for a Pell Grant or have demonstrated financial need determined annually by the institution's financial aid department using the federal methodology or the needs analysis methodology used to award institutional need-based funds to all students.
3. Demonstrated financial need for foreign student-athletes must be determined and certified annually in writing by the official foreign student entity of the institution outside of the department of athletics.
The Following Student-Athletes are Not Eligible to Apply for Funds:
* Student-athletes (domestic or foreign) who receive countable aid (i.e., aid that counts against team limits) and are not Pell-eligible and do not demonstrate financial need.
* Student-athletes (domestic and foreign) who do not receive any countable aid (i.e., aid that counts against team limits) and are not Pell-eligible.
* Non-qualifiers in their initial year of residence.
The Following are Permissible Uses of the Fund:
* Cost of clothing, travel from campus to home and other essential expenses (not entertainment) up to $500.
* Cost of expendable academic course supplies (e.g. notebooks and pens) and rental of non-expendable supplies (e.g. computer equipment and cameras) that are required for all students in the course.
* Medical and dental costs not covered by another insurance program (e.g. premiums for optional medical insurance, hearing aids, vision therapy and off-campus psychological counseling).
* Costs associated with student-athlete or family emergencies.
The Following are Not Permissible Uses of the Funds:
* Financing any portion of an institutional grant-in-aid that could have been awarded to the student-athlete is prohibited.
* Entertainment expenses for student-athletes are not permissible.
* The purchase of disability, illness or injury insurance to protect against the loss of potential future professional sports earnings is not permissible.
* The funds may not be used for administrative purposes (conferences may not charge an administrative fee nor may salary or staff expenses for administration of the funds be paid from these moneys).
The responsibility for oversight and administration of the fund, including interpretations, rests solely with the conferences. The guiding principals of the fund are to meet the student-athletes' needs of an emergency or essential nature for which financial assistance otherwise is not available. Conference interpretations not addressed by the Division I Management Council should stay within this intended purpose.
A conference may accumulate not more than the total allocation received over the previous two years. The conference will not receive any additional dollars if it has exceeded the two-year cap amount.
Independent institutions' funds have been assigned to a conference office for administrative purposes, based on the same assignments made for the administration of the National Letter of Intent.
Conferences annually will be required to report to the NCAA national office the number of Special Assistance Fund recipients by sport, purposes for which the moneys were used and the specific amounts for each purpose.
Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund
The Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund is intended to provide direct benefits to student-athletes or their families as determined by conference offices. As a guiding principle, the fund shall be used to assist student-athletes in meeting financial needs that arise in conjunction with participation in intercollegiate athletics, enrollment in an academic curriculum or that recognize academic achievement. Accordingly, receipt of Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund monies shall not be included in determining the permissible amount of financial aid that a member institution may award to a student-athlete. Further, inasmuch as the fund is design to provide direct benefits to student-athletes, the fund is not intended to be used to replace existing budget items.
In order to receive assistance through the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund, the student-athlete requesting aid must obtain a form from the Compliance Office and submit the completed form and any necessary accompanying documentation. For more information about the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund, see the MWC SAOF Guidelines or visit the Compliance Office.