TO: Chief Executive Officers at Selected Division III Institutions
Directors of Athletics at Selected Division III Institutions
Directors of Financial Aid at Selected Division III Institutions.
FROM: Kevin LaGree, chair
NCAA Division III Financial Aid Review Task Force.
SUBJECT: Participation in the Division III Financial Aid Review Program Pre-Pilot.
This proposal appears to have broad-based support among the Division III membership. In a survey regarding the future of Division III sent to chief executive officers (CEOs) during spring 2003, 64 percent of respondents indicated ?strong support? or ?support? for this concept, with another 15 percent indicating they ?somewhat? support it. The survey also identified financial aid as the top area of concern among the Division III membership.
We are requesting that your institution participate in the pre-pilot, which will involve approximately 20 institutions selected to reflect the Division III membership. The pre-pilot will be conducted between October 15 and November 15 to further test the proposed reporting process.
The fundamental principal behind the reporting process is our division?s commitment that student-athletes and nonstudent-athletes receive equitable financial aid packages. Since each institution has its own complex financial aid award process, the task force has decided to focus on the following data in the pre-pilot:
1. Student demographics and academic characteristics;
2. Financial aid award calculation;
3. Grants and scholarships;
4. Loan programs; and
5. Work-study programs.
The pre-pilot will help the task force to determine to what extent these data are available and relevant to the financial aid reporting process to be implemented in 2004 and 2005.
The task force, in conjunction with NCAA staff, is developing an electronic-reporting process that pre-pilot schools will use to compile data and submit the report. It is our intention that the data will be forwarded via the Internet to the NCAA. This process will minimize the administrative burden. It is likely that the process will require some minimal assistance from each institution?s information technology department to establish a link between the NCAA?s electronic-reporting software and the institutional financial aid database. The NCAA is developing a template program to minimize the burden associated with this process. The NCAA will forward the template and the electronic-reporting software to the director of financial aid prior to October 10.
Please note that the Division III governance structure also has reserved funds to assist schools with expenses incurred in the pre-pilot, if necessary.
The Financial Aid Review Task Force and the Financial Aid and Awards Committee will review the pre-pilot findings during a December meeting. Accordingly, please have your financial aid department and other relevant staff prepared to complete the review and return relevant information to the NCAA prior to November 10.
Please contact NCAA staff members Rich McGlynn (rmcglynn@ncaa.org) and Eric Hartung (ehartung@ncaa.org) if you have additional questions regarding the pre-pilot. In particular, if your school will not be able to participate in the pre-pilot, please inform staff as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your institution?s assistance with this important endeavor.
cc: Division III Financial Aid Committee
Division III Financial Aid Review Task Force
Selected NCAA Staff Members
INSTITUTION ACCEPTANCE FORM
Institution: ______________________________________________________
Primary Contact:
Name: ________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Email Address: ________________________________________________
Primary Financial Aid Contact:
Name: ________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Email Address: ________________________________________________
Primary Information Technology Contact:
Name: ________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Email Address: ________________________________________________
Please fax this form to NCAA staff member Rich McGlynn at 317/917-6622 and mail the original to the following address:
Rich McGlynn