USJS
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1. Policy Statement
The Utah School of Jewish Studies (USJS) is committed to providing a quality Jewish education for children regardless of ability to pay. To this end we have set aside funds to provide tuition for scholarships for those children who require such assistance. The scholarship committee of USJS shall award scholarships at its discretion. These scholarships may be full or partial according to the determination of the Scholarship committee. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of financial need, number of children attending the school, commitment to the educational program of the school, and any other factors the Scholarship committee deems relevant. Since the school is a parent cooperative we will expect the families of scholarship students to meet their cooping responsibilities. Applications for scholarships will be available before the start of the school and will be held in the strictest confidence.
The Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee ("Committee") will endeavor to raise such funds and to distribute such scholarships as are necessary to allow such children to attend classes at the school. Scholarships will be granted on the basis of need, and consistent with the nondiscrimination statement and other policies adopted in the Bylaws and in this statement of policy and procedures.
3. Number, Size and Form of Scholarships
Consistent with the availability of funds, the Committee will distribute as many scholarships as necessary to ensure that all children who wish to attend the school, and whose families cannot afford the tuition and book or other applicable fees, are able to do so. Therefore, there is no fixed limit on the number of full or partial scholarships that may be awarded in any year. It is the general policy of USJS to award scholarships to all eligible applicants. However, should the total amount of assistance requested in all scholarship applications exceed available funds, the Committee will determine, consistent with the criteria set forth below, whether to grant partial scholarships to all eligible applicants or to deny assistance to some applicants. All scholarships will be in the form of tuition and fee waivers, and not in the -form of cash distributions.
4. Nondiscrimination Policy
No applicant will be denied scholarship or other assistance, or granted a lower amount of such assistance, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation. If funds are limited relative to the number of otherwise eligible recipients, USJS reserves the right to give priority to Jewish students. However, the determination of whether a student is Jewish shall not be made on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.
5. Criteria
Scholarships will be granted on the basis of financial need. No single income cutoff will be used to determine need. Rather, the Committee will consider the total family income, the number of dependents in the household, and such other information as is relevant to determine whether the applicant or the applicant's family is able to afford applicable tuition and fees.
6. Conflict of Interest Prohibited
No preference will be given to any student on the basis of the place of employment of the student or the student's family (except to the extent that family income is relevant to financial need), or on the basis of the relationship between the student and any Officer, Board Member, donor, or member of the Scholarship & Financial Aid Committee. No Officer, Board Member, donor, member of the Scholarship & Financial Aid Committee or other person shall participate in any scholarship decision, or seek to influence a scholarship decision in any way outside of the normal application process, if such person, any member of that person's family, or anyone else for whom such person has or shares financial responsibility, is an applicant for a scholarship during the same fiscal year. No Officer, Board Member, donor, member of the Scholarship & Financial Aid Committee or other person shall participate in any scholarship decision, or seek to influence a scholarship decision in any way outside of the normal application process, if such person otherwise is in a position to derive private benefit, directly or indirectly, if certain potential grantees are selected over others.
7. Responsibility of the Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee
Pursuant to the USJS Bylaws, a Scholarship & Financial Aid Committee has been formed to develop and to implement future scholarship policy. This Committee will be responsible for developing a policy on scholarships and financial aid, developing an application form for financial assistance, reviewing all applications received, awarding scholarships or other forms of financial aid (including tuition reductions or extended payment schedules), and assuring that recipients comply with any conditions of such assistance.
8. Confidentiality
All scholarship applications,
any other information requested or submitted in conjunction with any scholarship
application, and all written and other information produced or accumulated
in connection with the review of scholarship applications and decisions
thereon, will be held confidential. No such information may be shared with
any person except as necessary to determine scholarship eligibility consistent
with this statement of policy and procedures.
9. Responsibility of Scholarship Recipients and Families
Other than the waived tuition and fees, scholarship recipients and their families must fulfill the same responsibilities as all other participants in USJS. Since the school is a parent cooperative, the families of scholarship students must meet the same cooping responsibilities as other USJS families. Scholarship recipients must meet the same standards of attendance and behavior, and the same academic standards, as all other students. Scholarship assistance may be reduced or terminated for violation of these requirements, at the discretion of the Committee, after reasonable notice to one adult member of the recipient's family.
10. Record Keeping
All scholarship applications and information regarding the selection of eligible scholarship applicants will be maintained by the Chair of the Committee, in a place and manner as is fully consistent with the confidentiality policy outlined above, for a minimum of three years.
11. Publication and Information Regarding Scholarships
The USJS nondiscrimination
policy, and information regarding the availability of
scholarship assistance, will be published at least once every year,
during the normal recruitment and enrollment period, in a newspaper of
general circulation in the Salt Lake City area. In addition, USJS will
publicize its nondiscrimination policy and information regarding the availability
of scholarships in its promotional literature, other advertising, and on
the school's general application form.
12. Effective Date
This statement of policy and procedures shall be effective immediately on approval by the Board of Directors.