The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAM (Undergraduate - Full Time) POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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1 The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, (503) FAX (503) Grand Ronde Road Ext Grand Ronde, OR Umpqua Molalla Rogue River Kalapuya Chasta BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAM (Undergraduate - Full Time) POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Purpose of this program is to provide need based funding to Grand Ronde Tribal members pursuing a four year Bachelor s Degree from an accredited College or University (students may begin a Transfer program at a two year college). All educational institutions are subject to review and approval by the, prior to providing funding for Tribal member participation. With the rising cost of college we encourage students to apply for alternate sources of funding. I. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for program funding: A. An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; B. A high school graduate or have earned a GED; C. Enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited College or University and pursuing a Bachelor s degree, or in a two (2) year program which will transfer to a four (4) year institution; D. Pursuing an undergraduate degree as a full-time student, with at least 12 credit hours per term / semester or full time institution standards; E. Adhere to all rules and regulations of conduct as established by the College or University; F. There are no residency requirements; G. Demonstrate financial need utilizing an approved financial Need Analysis System; H. Apply for Federal Financial Aid for the academic year for which they plan to attend; I. Apply for at least one outside scholarship separate from the Tribal Competitive Scholarship and provide documentation of application; Higher Education Program Page 1 of 7

2 J. Applicants cannot have any unpaid debts to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on behalf of the Higher. II. ACCREDITATION: G. All students funded through the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Education must attend an accredited institution of post secondary education. a. All institutions must be accredited by one of the national or regional accrediting associations listed below in order to be eligible for funding: 1. American Medical Association, AMA (all medical students) 2. American Bar Association, ABA (all law students) 3. Higher Learning Commission of Colleges and Schools, HLC (Formerly the North Central Association) 4. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, MSA 5. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.-Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, NEASC-CIHE 6. New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.-Commission on Technical and Career Institutions, NEASC-CTCI 7. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, NCCU (formally Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges) 8. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Colleges, SACS-CC 9. Western Association of Schools and Colleges/Accrediting Commission, WASC. b. All institutions must accept Federal Student Aid (Title IV funding). c. Proprietary institutions that do not meet the above criteria may be reviewed for consideration with a legitimate letter of explanation from the student. The appeal letter must express why there is no other institution they can attend that offers a similar program of study that is accredited by the above mentioned accrediting associations. Students must also provide verification of the institution s accrediting agency and the estimated school cost (tuition/fees & books/supplies) from the Financial Aid Office. Proprietary institutions will not automatically be eligible for funding. Page 2 of 7

3 II. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Students must meet the following terms and conditions to remain eligible for continued program funding: A. Applicants must submit their completed application and verification material to the Tribal by the applicable deadlines for the term / semester they wish to attend: April 30 Fall Term / Semester August 30 Winter Term / Spring Semester November 30 Spring Term February 28 Summer Term / Semester Continuing students must notify their program coordinator by February 28 to receive funding for summer term/semester. B. Students must meet the minimum academic requirements of earning 12 credit hours, or meet full time status per College or University standard, and earn equivalent to a minimum 2.0 GPA each term / semester. C. Students must take at least 12 credits and not more than 18 credits per term/semester. D. Students are required to submit a class schedule and grade report to the Bachelor Degree Program Coordinator for each term / semester they receive funding. Failure to submit grade reports and schedules in a timely manner may result in a delay or denial of future funding and/or repayment of the term / semester missing the grade report. E. Students are required to submit a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Student Aid Report (SAR) for each year of attendance. F. Students who withdraw for any reason before the term / semester is over will be required to reimburse the for the funding advanced and will not be eligible for additional funding from any program until reimbursement is made in full. III. FUNDING A. Funding amounts are based on unmet need as determined by the completion of the Tribal Needs Analysis System. The maximum funding level for any one academic year is $9,000. An academic year runs from July 1 to June 30 regardless of the operating system of attendance. B. The Bachelor Degree program funding will be distributed in equal increments based upon the operating system of attendance, with the maximum funding limits set in accordance with the operating system. Term System $3,000 maximum funding level per term. Page 3 of 7

4 Semester System $4,500 maximum funding level per semester. C. Funding will be mailed directly to the school of attendance prior to the first day of classes. Funding must be applied towards the cost of tuition and fees first. D. The Bachelor Degree program will not pay for the costs of loan fees. E. Students are eligible for awards up to a maximum of twelve (12) cumulative quarters (terms) or eight (8) cumulative semesters to complete a four (4) year undergraduate degree program. Students who attend consecutive terms / semesters do not need to submit a new application each year of attendance, but they do need to notify the Bachelor Degree Program Coordinator of their plan to continue the next academic year and provide a copy of the FAFSA, SAR, and an updated Release of Information form, the information must be received on or before April 30. F. A recipient who has utilized the Bachelor Degree Program funding to obtain a bachelor degree is not eligible to reapply for funding for a second degree except under the following circumstances or at the discretion of the Education Committee. 1. Forced career change due to company layoffs or closures. 2. Injury requiring a career change 3. Disability requiring a career change. G. Second degree applicants will only be considered after first degree applicants have been funded. H. However, tribal member who have received a certificate or two year Associate degree can access the Bachelor Degree Program for additional funding towards a Bachelor degree. I. The level of funding for this program is subject to availability of Tribal resources and budget approval. IV. PROBATION, SUSPENSION, AND REPAYMENT A. Tribal Education Staff will notify program recipients in writing when they fail to meet the program academic requirements. B. Students who fail to meet the minimum academic requirements listed in section II B above will be placed on Academic Probation for their next term / semester of attendance. C. Students who have been placed on Academic Probation and fail to meet the minimum academic requirements listed in II B above for their next term / semester of attendance will be Suspended from the Bachelor Degree Program. Page 4 of 7

5 D. Students who have been Suspended from the Bachelor Degree Program may apply for reinstatement after they have attended one term / semester at their own expense. Students will be required to meet the minimum academic requirements of 12 credit hours and a 2.0 GPA for the term / semester and provide evidence of the successful completion to the Bachelor Degree program with their request for reinstatement. Students who are approved for reinstatement will be placed on Academic Probation for the term / semester for which they have been reinstated. If the student meets the minimum academic requirements for the reinstatement term / semester then they will be removed from probation. E. Students are only able to be placed on an Academic Probationary status two (2) times while receiving full time funding. After a student is placed on Probationary status for the second time, from that time on if the student does not meet the academic requirements of the program they will placed on a suspended status and will have to follow the reinstatement process listed in D above. F. Students who have been Suspended from the Bachelor Degree program a second time will not be eligible to reapply for reinstatement for a one year period after the notification of the second Suspension. G. Students who have been suspended from the Bachelor Degree program can not use another Education program to meet the reinstatement requirement of paying for one term at their own expense. H. Students, who do not enroll, withdraw before the term / semester is over for any reason, drops out, receives a 0.0 GPA and 0 credits, or otherwise fails to complete the term, semester, or grading period the recipient will be required to reimburse all awarded funds and they will not be eligible for additional funding until the amount is paid in full. I. If a student does not reimburse the monies owed by the time of a Tribal Disbursement, the amount owed will be withheld from the Tribal Disbursement and credited to the to reimburse for the debt owed. J. Students that have repaid a debt will be placed on a probationary status with all Higher Education programs, including the Competitive Scholarship program, for all remaining terms / semesters of receiving full time funding. K. Students must provide a copy of a degree audit to the Bachelor Degree program coordinator at the end of their sophomore (2 rd ) year for Bachelor Degree Students. V. APPEALS Page 5 of 7

6 A. An applicant / recipient who is aggrieved by a decision of the may file an appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing and received by the Education Division within ten (10) working days of receiving a written decision. B. Written appeals should be addressed to the Manager and mailed or hand delivered to the following address: Manager 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR C. The appeal should contain at least the following information: Anticipated outcome; Dates of Occurrence; Extenuating circumstances (documentation must be provided to verify the extenuating circumstances); Any additional relevant information the applicant/recipient wants the Manager to take into consideration; and Reason(s) why applicant/recipient believes the decision should be changed. D. The Manager will review the appeal and render a decision within five (5) working days after receiving the appeal. The decision will be based on the information submitted. The applicant / recipient may request a meeting to present additional oral testimony related to the appeal. E. If the applicant / recipient is not satisfied with the decision rendered by the Education Division Manager, they may appeal to the Education Committee. Appeals must be submitted in writing and received by the Education Committee within fifteen (15) days of receiving a written decision from the Manager. The appeal should be hand delivered or mailed to the following address: / Education Committee 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR F. The Education Committee will review the appeal at their next scheduled committee meeting and render a decision within thirty (30) days of receiving the appeal. The decision will be based on the information submitted. The applicant/recipient and the Manager may attend the committee meeting and present oral testimony related to the appeal. G. The Education Committee is not authorized to waive debt. If a student s appeal includes a request for waiver of repayment, the Education Committee will forward the request to the Executive Review Committee. The Executive Review Committee will review the Page 6 of 7

7 waiver request and notify the staff of their decision. The decision of the Executive Review Committee is final. VI. DEBT Students who owe a debt to the for failure to comply with program requirements will not be eligible for any funding until the debt is paid in full. Once the debt is paid in full the student may apply for funding through the standard application process. Students that have repaid a debt will be placed on a permanent probationary status with the Education Students must report any changes in address, academic program, or academic status within ten (10) days of the change. Failure to notify the program coordinator may result in the loss of future funding or program eligibility. VII. FRAUD A. Students who submit fraudulent grade reports or other information will be required to repay all funding disbursed for the fraudulent grading period, as well as any other grading period funded after the fraudulent grading period. B. Students who submit fraudulent grade reports will be ineligible for future Education Division funding five (5) years after the debt is resolved. C. Students will also remain on a permanent probation status with all programs after the debt is resolved. D. Students will be required to submit official transcripts at the conclusion of each term in order to continue to receive funding. VIII. IMPLEMENTATION AND REVIEW This policy shall become effective upon review and approval by the Executive Officer. The Bachelor Degree program is responsible for the implementation of this policy upon approval. Any questions regarding the policy or application should be directed to the Manger. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis. Page 7 of 7