Source: https://higheredutah.org/policies/r513-tuition-waivers-and-reductions/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 14:48:25+00:00

Document:
R513-1. Purpose: To establish procedures for Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institutions to administer tuition waiver and reduction programs.
3.1. Impecunious Resident Student: A resident student whose demonstrated lack of financial resources presents a significant barrier to accessing higher education or completing a higher education degree or certificate.
3.2. Meritorious Resident Student: A resident student who has demonstrated exceptional academic and / or other achievements which qualify for recognition and reward.
4.1. 10% Resident Tuition Waivers: The president of each institution may waive all or part of the tuition in behalf of meritorious or impecunious resident students to an amount not exceeding 10 percent of the total amount of tuition which, in the absence of the waivers, would have been collected from all Utah resident students at the institution.
4.1.1. Of the amount waived in 4.1, at least 10 percent of total amount shall be used to support tuition waivers for impecunious resident students.
4.1.1.1. Each of the institutions will develop and present a plan to the Board of Regents on how it expects to be compliant with 4.1.1. for the reporting cycle beginning July 1, 2021.
4.1.1.2. The Board shall review the percentage set aside for impecunious students every three years beginning July 1, 2024.
4.2 National Guard Set Aside: Of the amount waived for resident students under 4.1, 2.5 percent of the total amount shall be set aside by institutions for waivers reserved for members of the Utah National Guard.
4.2.1. To ensure timely processing, the Utah National Guard Administration will provide to the institutions a prioritized list of qualified candidates for tuition waivers no later than 60 calendar days prior to the start of an academic term. Candidates for Utah National Guard tuition waivers must be full-time students. To ensure the highest number of candidates receive a tuition waiver, institutions may adjust the waiver amount between partial and full amounts.
4.2.2. An institution may, at its discretion and within its established criteria, allow recipients to use tuition waivers toward self-supported courses.
4.2.3. Any National Guard tuition waivers set aside but not claimed 30 days prior to the beginning of the term may be used for other qualified students.
4.3. Partial Tuition Waivers for Critical Occupations: Upon recommendation of the Board of Regents, a president shall grant additional full or partial tuition waivers to encourage students to enroll for instruction in specifically identified occupations critical to the state for which trained personnel are in short supply.
4.4.1. A minimum administrative fee shall be charged, for the institution’s cost of registration, record keeping, and report preparation. The fee shall be at least $10 per semester of registration.
4.4.2. Where applicable, specific course fees also shall be charged.
4.4.3. No credit shall be awarded to a senior citizen for a course taken pursuant to the senior citizens waiver in 3.4. To receive credit a senior citizen must pay regular tuition.
4.5.1.1. “Child” means an individual who (a) is a natural or adopted child of a deceased peace officer or deceased firefighter; and (b) was under the age of 25 at the time of the peace officer’s or firefighter’s death.
4.5.1.2. “Department” means the Department of Public Safety.
4.5.1.3. “Killed” means that the peace officer’s or firefighter’s death is the direct and proximate result of a traumatic injury incurred in the line of duty.
4.5.1.4. “Line of Duty” means an action that a peace officer or firefighter is obligated or authorized to perform by rule, regulation, condition of employment or service, or law, including a social, ceremonial, or athletic function that the peace officer or firefighter is assigned to or compensated for by the public agency being served.
4.5.1.5. “Occupational Disease” means a disease that routinely constitutes a special hazard in, or is commonly regarded as concomitant of, the peace officer’s or firefighter’s occupation.
4.5.1.6. “Traumatic Injury” means a wound or the condition of the body caused by external force, including an injury inflicted by bullet, explosive, sharp instrument, blunt object, or other physical blow, fire, smoke, chemical, electricity, climatic condition, infectious disease, radiation, or bacteria, but excluding an occupational disease.
4.5.1.7. “Tuition” means tuition at the rate charged for residents of the state.
4.5.1.8. “Utah Firefighter” or “Firefighter” means a member, including volunteer members and members paid on call, of a fire department or other organization that provides fire suppression and other fire related services, of a political subdivision who is responsible for or is in a capacity that includes responsibility for the extinguishment of fires. This does not include a person whose job description, duties, or responsibilities do not include direct involvement in fire suppression.
4.5.1.9. “Utah Peace Officer” or “Peace Officer” means an employee of a law enforcement agency that is part of or administered by the state or any of its political subdivisions, and whose duties consist primarily of the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of criminal statutes or ordinances of this state or any of its political subdivisions.
4.5.2.7. has not achieved a bachelor’s degree and has received tuition reimbursement under this chapter for less than 124 semester credits or 180 quarter credits at an institution of higher education.
4.5.3. Limited Term for Waiver: A child or surviving spouse of a peace officer or firefighter who was killed in the line of duty is eligible for a tuition waiver under this section of not more than nine semesters or the equivalent number of quarters.
4.5.3.1. Waiver Only If Tuition Not Otherwise Covered: Tuition shall be waived only to the extent that the tuition is not covered or paid by any scholarship, trust fund, statutory benefit, or any other source of tuition coverage available for a waiver.
4.5.3.2. Waiver for Required Courses Only: An institution shall waive tuition under this chapter only for courses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirements of the program in which the child or surviving spouse is enrolled.
4.5.3.3. Prior Approval by Department: Upon receiving an application under Utah Code 53B-8c-103(1)(c), the Department shall determine whether the applicant and the courses for which tuition waiver is sought meet the requirements of Section 53B-8c-103 and, if so, shall approve the application and notify the higher education institution that the application has been approved.
4.5.3.4. Department Cooperation: The institutions shall cooperate with the Department in developing efficient procedures for the implementation of this program and shall use the forms and applications provided by the Department.
4.6.1.1. “Division” means the Division of Child and Family Services.
4.6.1.2. “Long-term Foster Care” means an individual who remains in the custody of the Division, whether or not the individual resides with licensed foster parents or in independent living arrangements under the supervision of the Division.
4.6.1.3. “State Institution of Higher Education” means those institutions designated in Section 53B-1-102 and any public institution that offers postsecondary education in consideration of the payment of tuition or fees for the attainment of educational or vocational objectives leading to a degree or certificate, including business schools, technical schools, applied technology centers, trade schools, and institutions offering related apprenticeship programs.
4.6.1.4. “Tuition” means tuition at the rate for residents of the state.
4.6.1.5. “Ward of the State” means an individual (a) who is at least 17 years of age and not older than 26 years of age; (b) who had a permanency goal in the individual’s treatment plan, as defined in Sections 62A-4a-205 and 78-3a-312, of long-term foster care while in the custody of the Division; and (c) for whom the custody of the Division was not terminated as a result of adoption.
4.6.2.3. provides the institution with documentation from the Division that the Division has verified: (a) applicant is at least 17 years of age and not older than 26 years of age; (b) applicant had a permanency goal in the Division treatment plan, as defined in Sections 62A-4a-205 and 78-3a-312, of long-term foster care while in the custody of the Division; (c) applicant’s custody was not terminated as a result of adoption; (d) applicant was in the custody of the Division for an aggregate period of not less than 24 months; (e) applicant applied for the first time under this program before the age of 22; and (f) applicant has not achieved a bachelor’s degree, and has received tuition reimbursement under this program for less than 124 semester credits (or 180 quarter credits) and for not more than nine semesters at an institution of higher education.
4.6.3. Limited Term of Waiver: A ward of the state is eligible for a tuition waiver under this section for not more than nine semesters.
4.6.3.1. Waiver Only if Tuition Not Otherwise Covered: Tuition shall be waived (a) after the individual has applied for financial assistance, including scholarships and Pell Grants; and (b) only to the extent that the tuition is not covered or paid by any scholarship, trust fund, statutory benefit, Pell Grant, or any other source of tuition coverage available for a waiver.
4.6.3.2. Waiver for Required Courses Only: An institution of higher education shall waive tuition under this chapter only for courses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirements of the program in which the student is enrolled.
4.6.4. Reimbursement of Waivers by Division: The institutions shall seek reimbursement from the Division for any tuition waived under this chapter.
4.7.1.1.“Educator”: means an educator is a person currently employed in the Utah public school system who is a licensed educator in good standing or has been issued a letter of authorization permitting such employment under Utah Code 53A-6-104, the Board Licensure section of the Educator Licensure and Professional Practices Act.
4.7.1.3. “Master’s and Doctoral Degree Candidates” means because of the extensive involvement of faculty members in committees, mentoring, and counseling of master’s and doctoral degree candidates, the concept of surplus space does not apply and such educators are not eligible for the exemption from tuition under this section.
4.7.2. Administrative Semester Registration Fee: The institution may charge an educator an administrative semester registration fee not to exceed $100 per semester to cover the actual increased costs associated with registration, verification of educator status, identification of eligible courses, certification of space availability, and record keeping.
4.7.3.2. If the class meets the requirements of 53A-6-104(2)(b)(i) but does not have as a principal or substantial purpose to serve educators, then the institution shall define the optimum class size of the class in accordance with regular procedures and normal teaching loads in that space within the institution’s approved budget. The number of surplus space enrollments available to educators is determined by subtracting from the optimum class size the number of tuition paying students enrolled in the class. The surplus space enrollments may then be filled by educators on a first come first served basis. However, in order to maintain the optimum class size, educators exempt from tuition may be bumped (last in, first out) by regular tuition paying students who later register for the class.
4.8.1. Extended Sequential Study for Difficult Languages: Difficult languages require extended sequences of study to acquire proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
4.8.2. Mandarin Chinese Program: The Board and the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Utah Education Network, may develop and implement a concurrent enrollment course of study in Mandarin Chinese. The course shall be taught over EDNET to high school juniors and seniors in the state’s public education system.
4.8.3. Tuition Reimbursement: Students who successfully complete the concurrent enrollment course in Mandarin Chinese offered under the part shall receive tuition reimbursement for a sequential Mandarin Chinese course they successfully complete with a “B” grade or above at an institution within the USHE.
4.9.1. Tuition Waiver: USHE institutions shall waive undergraduate tuition for surviving dependents of a Utah resident, as defined in Utah Code §53B-8-107, who, as a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the Utah National Guard or a reserve component, was killed or died of wounds or injuries received while serving on federal active duty, under orders of competent authority and not as a result of the member’s own misconduct.
4.9.1.2. The dependent must be accepted by the institution as a student in accordance with the institution’s admission guidelines.
4.9.1.3. The dependent must be a resident student as defined by Utah Code §53B-8-102 and Regent Policy R512.
4.9.1.4. The dependent may not be excluded from the waiver if the dependent has previously taken courses at, or has been awarded credit by, a USHE institution.
4.9.2. Certification by Adjutant General or Designee: The adjutant general, after consultation with federal authorities if necessary, shall certify to the institution that the dependent is a surviving dependent eligible for the waiver. The adjutant general may delegate this responsibility to the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs.
4.9.3. Definition of “Dependent”: For purposes of this policy, the term “dependent” shall include a surviving spouse.
4.9.4.1. The waiver is not applicable if the dependent has already completed an undergraduate degree.
4.9.4.2. The waiver is applicable for undergraduate study only.
4.9.4.3. The dependent may only utilize the waiver for courses that are applicable toward the degree or certificate requirement of the program in which the dependent is enrolled.
4.9.4.4. The waiver is not applicable to fees, books, or housing expenses, and tuition shall be waived only to the extent that tuition is not covered by scholarships, Pell Grants, statutory benefit, or any other form of non-loan tuition coverage.
4.10. Waiver of Tuition for Purple Heart Recipients:. USHE institutions shall waive undergraduate tuition for each Purple Heart recipient who is admitted as a full-time, part-time, or summer school student in an undergraduate program of study leading to a degree or certificate, provided that the student is a resident of the state as determined under Section 53B-8-102, and that the student submits verification from the Division of Veterans Affairs that the student has earned a Purple Heart award as a result of military service.
4.11. When Verification of Lawful Presence is Not Required. As provided by Utah Code Ann. §63G-12-402, verification of lawful presence in the United States is not required of a student who is a graduate of a high school located in Utah and (1) is exempt from paying the nonresident portion of total tuition under Utah Code Ann. §53B-8-106; or (2) applies for, and may be awarded, a privately funded scholarship that is administered by a USHE institution.
The president of each institution may waive all or part of the nonresident portion of tuition for meritorious nonresident undergraduate students to an amount not exceeding the designated percent of the total amount of tuition which, in the absence of the waivers, would have been collected from all nonresident students at the institution outlined in the chart below.
5.1.1. In determining which students are meritorious for purposes of granting a tuition waiver under 5.1, a president shall consider students who are performing above the average at the institution, including having an admissions index higher than the average for the institution, if an admission index is used.
5.1.2. A president may continue to waive the nonresident portion of tuition for a student described in 4.1 for as long as the student is enrolled at the institution.
5.1.3. In addition to waiving the nonresident portion of tuition for a meritorious nonresident undergraduate student under 5.1, a president may waive the resident portion of tuition after the meritorious nonresident undergraduate student completes a year of full-time study at the institution.
5.1.4. Institutions will be given until July 2021 to adjust their financial aid awards practice to align with these percentages and would be asked to be compliant with the policy for the 2022 Academic school year reports.
5.1.5. The Commissioner’s office will review the percentages in 2022 and then no longer than every five years thereafter and recommend changes if appropriate and justified.
5.1.5.1. Institutions may also request an adjustment to these percentages for the Board’s consideration outside of the five year review period.
5.1.6. A president may waive all or part of the nonresident portion of tuition for nonresident graduate students.
5.2.1.2. promote enrollment of nonresident students with high academic aptitudes.
5.2.2.4. a nonresident student who receives a scholarship of greater than 50 percent of the differential tuition charged to nonresident students for an equal number of credit hours of instruction may not be counted against the funded target for the institution attended.
5.2.3.1. Institutions shall determine award eligibility on a meritorious basis, considering measures such as grade point averages and test scores.
5.2.3.2. In determining eligibility for these scholarships, institutions may consider the impact of maintaining critical enrollment levels in academic programs.
5.3.1. Partial Waiver of Nonresident Differential: The Board may grant a full or partial waiver of the nonresident differential in tuition rates charged to undergraduate students pursuant to reciprocal agreements with other states. In making the determination, the Board considers the potential of the waiver to: (A) enhance educational opportunities for Utah residents; (B) promote mutually beneficial cooperation and development of Utah communities and nearby communities in neighboring states; (C) contribute to the quality of educational programs; and (D) assist in maintaining the cost effectiveness of auxiliary operations in Utah institutions of higher education.
5.3.2. Dixie State University Good Neighbor Waiver: Dixie State University may offer a good neighbor full waiver of the nonresident differential in tuition rates charged to undergraduate students pursuant to the reciprocal agreements with other states or to a resident of a county that has a portion of the county located within 70 miles of the main campus of Dixie State University. A student who attends Dixie State University under a good neighbor tuition waiver shall pay a surcharge per credit hour in addition to the regular resident tuition and fees of Dixie State University. The surcharge per credit hour shall be based on a percentage of the approved resident tuition per credit hour each academic year. The percentage assessed as a surcharge per credit hour shall be set by the State Board of Regents. Dixie State University may restrict the number of good neighbor tuition waivers awarded. A student who attends Dixie State University on a good neighbor tuition waiver may not count the time during which the waiver is received towards establishing resident student status in Utah.
5.3.3. Reciprocal Agreements with Other States: Consistent with its determinations made pursuant to section 4.3, the board may enter into agreements with other states to provide for a full or partial reciprocal waiver of the nonresident tuition differential charged to undergraduate students. An agreement shall provide for the numbers and identifying criteria of undergraduate students, and shall specify the institutions of higher education that will be affected by the agreement.
5.3.4. Policy Guidelines: Each Utah institution affected by tuition waivers authorized by this part shall establish policy guidelines for evaluating applicants for such waivers.
5.4.1. Border Waivers: An institution may grant a scholarship for partial waiver of the nonresident portion of total tuition charged by public institutions of higher education to nonresident undergraduate students, subject to the limitations provided in this part, if the institution determines that the scholarship will (a) promote mutually beneficial cooperation between Utah communities and nearby communities in states adjacent to Utah; (b) contribute to the quality and desirable cultural diversity of educational programs in the institution; (c) assist in maintaining an adequate level of service and related cost effectiveness of auxiliary operations in the institution; and (d) promote enrollment of nonresident students with high academic aptitudes.
5.4.2.4. the institution shall determine eligibility for “border waiver” nonresident partial tuition scholarships on the basis of program availability at the institution and on a competitive basis, using quantifiable measurements such as grade point averages and results of test scores.
5.5.3. registers as an entering student at an institution of higher education not earlier than the fall of the 2002-03 academic year.
5.5.4. In addition, a student without lawful immigration status shall file an affidavit with the USHE institution stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.
5.6.3. graduated from a Utah high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in Utah.
5.7.1.3. recognize the legacy of past graduates and promote a continued connection to their alma mater.
5.7.2.2. have at least one parent or grandparent who graduated with an associate’s degree or higher from the same institution in which the student is enrolling.
5.8. Exemption of Nonresident Tuition as Athletic Scholarships: Pursuant to §53B-8-102. In addition to the waivers of nonresident tuition available to each institution under Utah Code Ann. § 53B-8-101 et seq., and this policy (R513), each institution may, at its discretion, grant as athletic scholarships full waiver of fees and nonresident tuition, up to the maximum number allowed by the appropriate athletic conference, and as recommended by the president of each institution.
6.1.2. The total amount of all waivers established under this policy that each institution granted stated in gross totals and as a percentage of total tuition revenue that, in the absence of waivers, the institution would have collected.
6.1.3. The amount waived for each individual waiver established under this policy, stated in gross totals and as a percentage of total tuition revenue that, in the absence of waivers, the institution would have collected.
6.1.4. The number of tuition waivers awarded by student type for each waiver awarded.
6.2.2. A budget appropriation request for each institution, which include requests for funds sufficient in amount to equal the estimated loss of dedicated credits realized by tuition wavier type.
Approved October 19, 2001, amended November 8, 2002, March 14, 2003, April 16, 2004, March 10, 2006, June 9, 2006 and June 8, 2007. Revisions approved by the Board of Regents on May 29, 2009, November 18, 2011, March 29, 2013, May 15, 2015, May 20, 2016, May 18, 2018 and November 16, 2018.

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