Scholarship Award Policy

This policy governs the administration of the scholarship program and applies to academic, athletic, and vocational scholarships.

1. All letters of intent will contain the statement:
“Violations of college policies and violations of state/local laws are grounds for termination of this scholarship.”

2. Scholarships will be limited to 18 semester hours with an allowance of 9 semester hours for developmental courses. Kansas resident students with a GPA of 2.25 or higher may apply for scholarship aid for additional hours with the approval of the student’s advisor. But, granting of such aid is dependent on the availability of funds. The Financial Aid Director will be the approving authority.

3. The 18-semester hour limit will not apply to participation courses required for scholarship eligibility. Examples of participation courses are: orientation,varsity sports, theatre productions, aerobics, etc. A maximum of 3 credit hours per activity will be allowed each semester unless approved by the Vice President for Instruction.

4. The loan of books scholarship will be limited to 18 semester hours except for those students enrolled in developmental courses. The loan of books scholarship is not authorized for courses approved for additional aid over the 18 semester hours limit. Workbooks and other materials are not part of this scholarship.

5. The Financial Aid Director will announce a deadline date for scholarship renewals.

6. The GPA requirements for retention of PCC scholarships is 2.0 with the following exceptions:
a. Above and Beyond, Awards of Excellence, and Presidential Scholarships would remain as published in the college catalog.
b. Scholarship limits that may be established by the donor of a particular scholarship, e.g., Miss America Scholarship.

7. GPA requirements apply at the end of the first semester. The Financial Aid Director will review GPA requirements at the end of the first semester, automatically place on probation students who have not met those requirements, and inform the students, their advisors and coaches, Director of Student Success Center and the Vice President of Instruction of that action. For those students who do not meet GPA requirements at the end of the second semester, the Financial Assistance Committee will be the approving authority for financial aid probation and discontinuing financial aid. The academic/vocational departments’ recommendation and, in the case of an athlete, the Athletic Director’s recommendation must be considered in the committee’s deliberations.

8. Each year the college provides a limited number of need-based scholarships for students. These awards are available to the entire student population and are based on financial need rather than ability. To qualify for consideration for a needs-based award, a student must have verified their financial need through the college’s financial aid office. Returning students in good academic standing receive priority consideration.

9. Students receiving scholarship awards in the amount of $500 or greater will be required to enroll in an average of 16 credit hours per semester, with a minimum of 32 credit hours per academic year, to retain their scholarship award. Exceptions to this requirement can be authorized by the administration in isolated cases of just cause.

Students in the nursing program are excluded from this requirement

X Replaces policy dated 03-01-11, 03-22-2004, 12-15-03.