Rule 3333-1-11 | The "Ohio Academic Scholarship Program" procedures.
(A) Authority
This rule is adopted under authority conferred upon the chancellor of higher education by section 3333.21 of the Revised Code.
(B) Purpose of program
The "Ohio Academic Scholarship Program" was established to recognize and give financial assistance to the state's academically outstanding students and to encourage these students to attend Ohio's institutions of higher education.
(C) Eligibility requirements
(1) To be eligible to receive an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" a student must:
(a) Be a current graduate of an eligible Ohio high school.
(b) Be an Ohio resident.
(c) Be enrolled or intend to be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in an eligible Ohio institution of higher education.
(d) To be eligible the student must take the ACT assessment in the junior year or by the December test date of their senior year.
(2) To renew the scholarship a student must:
(a) Be an Ohio resident.
(b) Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in an eligible Ohio institution of higher education, or be a full-time student concurrently enrolled as an undergraduate student and as a graduate or professional student in an eligible Ohio institution of higher education or be enrolled in an eligible Ohio institution of higher education as a full-time graduate or professional student who was awarded an undergraduate degree in less than four academic years.
(c) Make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or diploma.
(D) Definitions
(1) Eligible Ohio high schools
Eligible high schools include all diploma-granting public and non-public high schools chartered by the state department of education and having three or more years of instruction. Students who are enrolled in joint-vocational school programs are also eligible to participate in the "Ohio Academic Scholarship" competition. Applicants who are enrolled in joint-vocational school programs on a regular basis shall be ranked with other students in their respective joint-vocational schools, rather than with students from their "home schools," the schools from which they will graduate. Grade point averages reported for joint-vocational school students shall reflect performance in courses taken at the home school and joint-vocational school.
(2) Ohio resident
Each eligible participating institution shall determine the residency status of students for "Ohio Academic Scholarship" purposes in accordance with rule 3333-1-10 of the Administrative Code.
(3) Eligible Ohio institutions of higher education
An "eligible institution" is: (a) an Ohio public-assisted institution of higher education; or (b) an Ohio privately sponsored nonprofit institution of higher education having a "Certificate of Authorization" issued by the chancellor; or (c) a diploma school of nursing having a "Certificate of Authorization" issued by the chancellor; or (d) an Ohio proprietary institution which holds a "Certificate of Registration" issued under section 3332.05 of the Revised Code and program authorization issued by the state board of proprietary school registration to award an associate degree or holds a "Certificate Of Registration" issued under section 3332.05 of the Revised Code and a "Certificate of Authorization" issued by the chancellor to award a bachelor's degree. Students who attend an institution holding a "Certificate of Registration" must be enrolled in a program leading to an eligible associate degree or an eligible program leading to a bachelor's degree.
(4) Full-time student
A "Full-time student" is one who is enrolled in an eligible Ohio institution of higher education for at least twelve credit hours or the equivalent per term.
(5) Satisfactory academic progress
In working toward an associate degree, bachelor's degree, nursing school diploma, graduate degree or professional degree, the student must maintain a grade point average or other standards of achievement considered by the institution of higher education as satisfactory progress toward receipt of the degree or nursing school diploma sought by the student.
(6) Academic year
An "academic year" is defined as an instructional period consisting of three quarters, or two semesters, or the equivalent, including the summer term. At semester-system schools, summer school is equivalent to a semester; at quarter-system schools, summer school is equivalent to a quarter. Summer term is considered the first term of the academic year.
(E) Application process
Application for the scholarship shall be made through a student's high school. . Required application data shall be submitted to the chancellor by means of a web-based data collection system developed and maintained by the chancellor (we have not made any provisions to accept paper and are working individually with each high school that does not have access to the internet to identify alternatives.)
(1) Verification of ACT scores
ACT assessment scores for each scholarship applicant shall be provided directly by the chancellor in the web-based application through a data exchange agreement with ACT. High school guidance counselors may send official ACT scores which do not match ACT scores provided to the chancellor for consideration.
(2) Computing the scholarship index
The scholarship index, which gives equal weight to the student's fifth semester cumulative grade point average and the student's ACT scores, will determine the ranking of applicants in the scholarship competition. A constant factor ensures that the grade point average and the ACT scores are given equal weight in the scholarship index formula.
The scholarship index formula is designed for a 4.0 grading system where "A+", "A", "A-" = 4, "B+", "B", "B-) = 3, "C+", "C", "C-) = 2 and "D+", "D", "D-) = 1. Other grading systems may not be used. The applicant's fifth semester cumulative grade point average comprises grades from the tenth grade, eleventh grade and the first semester of the twelfth grade.
The applicant must take the ACT assessment in the junior year or by the December test date of their senior year to be considered for the scholarship. The applicant's ACT scores may be reported from one assessment only. If the applicant has taken the ACT assessment twice, the English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning scores may be reported from either assessment; however, scores from the two assessments may not be mixed.
Scholarship index formula
ACT assessment score (fifty per cent); high school grade point average (fifty per cent).
Scholarship index = (3E + 2M + R + SR) + (CF x HSA)
Where: "E" = ACT English score;
"M" = ACT mathematics score;
"R" = ACT reading score;
"SR" = ACT science reasoning score;
"CF" = A constant factor by which the high school average is multiplied to ensure that the ACT component and the high school average each receive equal weight in determining the scholarship index;
"HSA" = Fifth semester high school grade point average (tenth grade, eleventh grade and first semester of the twelfth grade).
(3) Submitting applications
A scholarship index may be calculated for any eligible applicant who has outstanding ACT examination assessment scores and an outstanding grade point average. Each high school shall submit application data on the web based system for no more than five students with the highest scholarship index. These applications shall be ranked in scholarship index order from highest to lowest. In the case where two or more students have identical scholarship indexes, transcripts of the students' grades may be required for verification by the chancellor. Complete application data must be submitted to the chancellor no later than February twenty-third of each year.
(F) Awarding scholarships
At least one thousand new scholarships of no less than two thousand dollars per year will be awarded each academic year. In cases where the highest scholarship index is held by two or more eligible students within a high school, each applicant will be designated to receive an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" for the upcoming academic year. At least one scholarship shall be awarded to a student from each eligible Ohio public, non-public, and joint-vocational high school that submits by the February twenty-third deadline date.
Students who rank second, third, fourth and fifth in each high school will comprise a sate-wide pool of applicants who will be ranked again by scholarship index to compete for remaining scholarships which will be available after one scholarship has been awarded to the top-ranked student in each eligible high school.
Notice of award
If the student with the highest scholarship index from a high school meets all eligibility requirements, that student will be designated to receive an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" in the amount of no less than two thousand dollars for the upcoming academic year. A scholarship certificate will be issued to the first-place candidate around April first. In addition to the scholarship certificate, the student will receive a confirmation form from their counselor on which he or she will indicate acceptance or refusal of the scholarship. This form will again ask for the name of the Ohio institution of higher education in which the student will be enrolled during the upcoming academic year and will ask whether or not the student will enroll in the summer term. The student must return the confirmation form to their counselor who will notify the chancellor via the web-based system before May first. Failure to respond to the scholarship offer by May first may result in reassignment of the scholarship.
If a student does not accept a scholarship, the scholarship will be offered to the number two student from the high school competition unless the high school already has more than one designated recipient. In that case, the scholarship will be offered to the next highest ranking student from the state-wide pool of high scores.
(G) Payment policies
(1) Duration of scholarship
A student may receive an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" for a maximum of four academic years, provided that the student is making satisfactory academic progress toward an associate degree, bachelor's degree, nursing school diploma, graduate degree or professional degree. If the student is making satisfactory academic progress, the scholarship is automatically renewed. Total scholarship benefits shall not be less than eight thousand dollars.
Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds from the Ohio general assembly.
(2) Influence on other state awards
Receipt of an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" will not affect a student's eligibility for an "Ohio Instructional Grant," "War Orphans Scholarship," or "National Guard Scholarship."
(3) Payment of scholarship
Scholarship benefits shall be paid to the student's institution of higher education. Each amount awarded will be paid in equal installments on a quarter or semester basis. Payments will be made each term after confirmation of the students continuing eligibility by the student's institution of higher education. Confirmation of eligibility shall be made by means of a web-based data collection system developed and maintained by the chancellor's staff.
(4) Transfer to another institution of higher education
A student who has received an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" may transfer to another eligible Ohio institution of higher education provided that the student notifies the chancellor in writing or by email about the transfer no later than fifteen days before the end of the academic term which precedes the term in which the transfer will be effective.
(5) Refund for withdrawal during a term
If an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" recipient discontinues full-time attendance during a term because of illness or other cause deemed satisfactory by the chancellor, the student may either claim a prorated payment for the period of actual attendance or waive payment for that term. A term for which prorated payment is made shall be considered as a scholarship received for a full term. A term for which payment is waived shall not be considered a term for which a scholarship was received.
If a student withdraws or drops below full-time enrollment during a term after the scholarship payment has been made, the student will return the unused portion of the scholarship to the chancellor. The amount due will be prorated on a weekly basis. For example, if a student attending a ten-week quarter-system school withdraws from the school or drops below twelve credit hours of coursework in the seventh week of classes, the student will refund three-tenths of three hundred thirty-three dollars, or one hundred dollars to the department of higher education.
(6) Cancellation of the scholarship
Students who discontinue full-time attendance during a term and cancel their scholarship will be assessed a refund due to the chancellor based upon the number of weeks in the term during which the student attended classes.
(7) Leave of absence for a quarter or semester
If an "Ohio Academic Scholarship" recipient is temporarily unable to attend school because of illness or other causes deemed satisfactory to the chancellor, the chancellor may grant a leave of absence for a period not to exceed one academic year. The student must make a request for a leave of absence in writing and will be notified in writing of the board's decision. Following a leave of absence, scholarship payments will be resumed at the time of enrollment confirmation.
(8) Unsatisfactory academic progress
If a student's academic record falls below the standard prescribed by the institution of higher education attended, the student must resume satisfactory academic progress within a period not exceeding two quarters or one semester of enrollment. For example: If a student's academic record fails to meet the prescribed standard at the end of the fall quarter or semester of the academic year, the student must bring his or her academic record up to the standard by the end of the third quarter or second semester of the same academic year to avoid termination of the scholarship. In the interim period, scholarship payment will be withheld.
Last updated October 2, 2023 at 8:15 AM
Supplemental Information