REPORT OF THE
DIVISION III FINANCIAL AID
AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
1. ACTION
ITEMS.
a.
NCAA
Bylaw 15.4.1.1.2 Penalty and Due Date – Appeal
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to allow
an institution to appeal the penalty for failure to submit the annual
electronic report by the designated due date. An institution may appeal the application of
this penalty to the NCAA Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee,
subject to final approval by the Management Council.
(2) Rationale. The committee recognizes that an
institution should be afforded the opportunity to appeal when penalties are
imposed for failure to submit the annual electronic report.
b.
Bylaw
15.4.5 – Specialized Interest in Activities as a Packaging Variable.
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to eliminate
Bylaw 15.4.5.
(2) Rationale. Due to the limitations in Bylaw 15.4.1 the
Financial Aid and Awards Committee determined Bylaw 15.4.5 is no longer needed
since Bylaw 15.4.1 establishes the criteria for consistent financial aid
packaging for student-athletes.
c.
Bylaw
16.1.4 – Maximum Value of Awards.
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to amend
Bylaw 16.1.4 to increase the value of awards.
(2)Rationale. The revised award limits adjust for
inflation since the last time specific awards were modified. This will allow institutions to purchase
the same or similar awards for its student-athletes and still be within the
specified NCAA limitations. This
awards legislation remains permissive legislation, thus, it is left to the
institution's discretion to determine to what extent awards shall be provided
to student-athletes and provides institutions with flexibility in spending on
awards.
d.
Bylaw
16.12.1 – Benefits, Gifts and Benefits – Permissible – Use of
Telephone.
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to permit a
student-athlete to use a telephone for personal reasons without charge or at a
reduced rate, provided such use is also generally available to the
institution's students and their friends and relatives.
(2) Rationale. Consistent with permitting student-athletes
to be treated in the same manner as the general student body, this would permit
the use of telephones that is generally available to the institution's students
and their friends and relatives.
e.
Bylaw
16.1.7.2 – Recognition by President, Governor or State Legislative Body.
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to
amend Bylaw 16.1.7.2 to permit the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to
provide actual and necessary expenses when a team (or its senior
student-athletes) is accorded special recognition by the President of the
(2)
Rationale.
Current legislation permits an institution to provide actual and
necessary expenses to a team (or its senior student-athletes) to attend a
special recognition ceremony by the President of the
f.
Bylaw
16.5.1 – Housing and Meals – Permissible – Vacation Period
Expenses.
(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to
amend Bylaw 16.5.1 to permit an institution to provide an additional meal (or
cash in an amount equal to the cost of an additional meal) to a student-athlete
during each day of any vacation period that occurs within the academic year,
provided the student-athlete is required to remain on campus for practice or
competition.
(2) Rationale. During vacation time periods, despite
receiving three meals per day, student-athletes still may not receive
sufficient nutrition to maintain their health at times when they may be
practicing more hours when classes are not in session. Presently, providing an additional meal
during or after practice activities constitutes an extra benefit. This would permit an institution to
provide an additional meal each day of the vacation period (in addition to the
three meals and nutritional supplements currently allowed) and supports
student-athlete well-being.
2. INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
a.
Financial Aid Timeline.
The committee reviewed the timeline as amended at its December 2004,
meeting. The committee recommended
the development of an updated 2005-06 timeline posted on the NCAA Web site and
also communicated at the 2005 NCAA Regional Rules Compliance Seminars. [Attachment A]
b. Financial Aid Reporting Process Flowchart. The committee reviewed the financial aid reporting process flowchart. The committee recommended amending the flowchart to clarify that data submitted between July 1 – September 20 should be the data from the previous academic year of enrollment and recommended posting on the NCAA Web site. The committee also recommended the flowchart be included in the Financial Aid Data Management System (FADMS) Users Manual. [Attachment B]
c.
Violation of Bylaw 15.4.1.1 –
Restricted Membership Status. The committee noted the NCAA Division
III Membership Committee’s endorsement of institutional penalties for
failure to submit the financial aid electronic report included in the
Membership Committee’s report to the Management Council. The Financial Aid and Awards Committee
recommended that the penalties for failing to submit the financial aid report
be communicated in the committee’s correspondence to institutions and in
the Division III Commissioners Monthly Update.
d. Communication
to Membership – Division-Wide Pilot and Full Implementation. The committee determined that the next steps for communication
to member institution is as follows:
(1) Institutions
participating in Division-wide pilot (late March).
(a)
Memorandum
and final report sent to chief executive officer (CEO) and financial aid
administrator (FAA) with copy of Users manual to FAA expressing appreciation
for participation in division-wide pilot; memorandum will highlight
institutional variance (above four percent and reasons or below four percent);
agreed upon variance of four percent for full implementation and 2005-06
timeline and process.
(b) Copy of Memorandum to
director of athletics (AD), senior woman administrator (SWA) and faculty
athletics representative (FAR).
(2)
Institutions
not participating in pilot (late March).
(a)
Memorandum
sent to CEO and FAA outlining legislated process; agreed upon variance of four
percent for full implementation; and 2005-06 timeline and process. The FADMS Users manual will accompany
the memorandum to FAA only, with Web site link to access additional materials.
(b)
Copy
of memorandum to AD, SWA and FAR with Web site link.
e.
Full Implementation Communication and
Mailing of Institutional Final
Reports. The committee determined that a hard
copy memorandum will be sent in early June to CEO and FAA regarding the full
implementation of the legislation requiring institutions to participate in the
financial aid reporting process The
memorandum will include the institution’s username and password, financial
aid timeline and a copy of the FADMS Users Manual to FAA only. A copy of the memorandum without the
username and password will be sent to the AD, FAR and SWA. Following the submission of the
institution’s financial aid data, a final report will be sent to the CEO
and financial aid administrator, and a memorandum with an attached aggregate
report will be sent to the AD and the person to whom the AD reports. The memorandum only will be sent to the
SWA and FAR.
f.
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) Regulations. The committee reviewed the regulations
as established by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the
impact of FERPA on the financial aid reporting process. The committee determined that the
data in the final reports will be suppressed to account for small numbers of
student-athletes in specific cells in the sport-by-sport breakdown and need
based assessment to protect the identity of individuals. The reports will show asterisks when
there is a cell of less than three student-athletes. The
committee stressed the importance of alerting institutions to the FERPA
regulations in its communications.
g.
Mock Review Process.
The committee participated in a mock of the levels I and II review
process. As part of the review process,
the committee reviewed filters to determine the types of justification
needed. The filters included: statistical considerations; proportion
of student-athletes in incoming class; gift aid as a proportion of cost of
attendance; packaging methodology; bylaw proportionality test; financial need
bracket assessment; sport-by-sport breakdown assessment; and historical
review. Following the
committee’s level I mock review, the committee participated in a level II
mock review (i.e., institutional justification phase). In the committee’s level II
review, the committee determined the following categories: accept justification for variance;
accept justification for variance with conditions; more information needed from
the institution; or case referral to NCAA enforcement services staff. [Attachment
C]
h.
Bylaw 21.8.6.6
– Financial Aid and Awards Committee. On review of the committee’s duties, the Financial Aid
and Awards committee determined its duties are for the review and consideration
of the Division III bylaws that govern
financial aid and financial awards.
In the past, the committee has also reviewed legislation related to
awards and benefits. In order to
clarify the role of the Financial Aid and Awards Committee, the committee recommended
editorially revising the committee’s title by removing Awards and therefore
making the title, Financial Aid Committee.
The committee recommended that legislation and issues
related to Bylaw 16 (Awards and Benefits) be under the duties of the Interpretations
and Legislation Committee (ILC).
i.
NCAA Executive Committee - Committee
Structure Resolution. The committee reviewed the resolution
adopted by the Executive Committee at its January 2005 meeting. The committee stressed the importance of
the Financial Aid and Awards Committee’s composition due to the implementation
of the newly adopted financial aid reporting process. The committee agreed to explore ways to
use technology for committee business and more in-person meetings in
Indianapolis, Indiana.
j.
New Chair Election.
The committee elected Dan Preston, dean of enrollment management,
Committee
Chair: Phillip Creighton,