Grant Awards to Student Athletes Policy

In 2005, the Division III membership of the National Collegiate Athletic Association adopted legislation requiring institutions to report financial aid packages for freshmen and transfers as a way to demonstrate compliance with Bylaw 15, which prohibits the awarding of financial awards, grants, and scholarships to intercollegiate student-athletes on the basis of athletic ability or the participation in sports and prohibits athletic staff from participating in the selection of any such award.

Each year departments and committees across campus select recipients for scholarships and grants.  The names of these recipients are forwarded to Student Financial Services, which then adds the scholarship or grant to the aid package for the student.  While the selection process for these scholarship awards and grants appears to be consistent with NCAA financial aid bylaws, the faculty and committees that select students for departmental scholarships may or may not be aware of NCAA requirements related to Bylaw 15. 

• Selection committees shall not consider a student’s athletic leadership, ability, participation or performance as a criterion in the formulation of a financial aid package or for selection of a scholarship, award or grant of a recipient.
• Members of the athletic staff are prohibited from participating on any financial aid, scholarship, award or grant selection committee or serve in any advisory capacity to these committees for the selection process for financial awards, scholarship or grants offered by SUNY Plattsburgh, the Plattsburgh College Foundation or affiliated groups or organizations.
• The vice presidents of the various divisions will be responsible for disseminating to deans, directors, departmental and selection committee chairs this policy and to ensure that the selection committees adhere to this policy.
• The college prohibits the establishment of endowments, scholarships, or gift aid programs specifically for student-athletes.
• The college prohibits donors from establishing, financing or contributing to endowments, scholarships, or gift aid programs specifically for student-athletes.