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Scope

This policy applies to all University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) tuition remissions that are awarded after 07/01/2019. A tuition remission is a form of financial aid in which the university waives or foregoes all or part of a student’s tuition charges. A tuition remission is distinct from a scholarship. A scholarship is a grant-in-aid that is funded whereas a remission waives (or forgives) tuition charges.

Policy Statement

Administrative and academic units that use tuition remissions for UNO students are required to follow the procedures, processes, and principles outlined within this policy when using tuition remissions.

Reason for Policy

The primary purpose of this policy is to ensure that federal, state, University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and institutional policies and regulations are being followed. Additionally, this policy is to provide guidance and direction to administrative and academic units across the UNO campus that use tuition remissions when working with students.

Procedures

Guiding Principles:
1. Tuition remissions should be used to optimize recruitment and retention in ways that are consistent with the institutional mission, values, and current strategies.
2. The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in collaboration with the Vice Chancellor for Student Success and the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, has oversight responsibility for the administration of all University of Nebraska at Omaha tuition remission programs.
3. UNO will strive to ensure that the use of tuition remissions in aggregate and for each individual program are mission driven and that the growth rate of net tuition exceeds the growth rate of the program specific tuition remissions.

Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria:
UNO defines minimum eligibility requirements for tuition remissions. However, specific selection criteria, as defined by the awarding unit may exceed UNO minimum eligibility requirements. Units that issue tuition remissions must develop specific and measurable written selection criteria and document that the student has met all requirements before awarding the tuition remission.

Application, Selection, and Notification Processes:
Non-need-based tuition remissions application, selection, and notification processes are decentralized activities. Need-based tuition remissions are the responsibility of the UNO Office of Financial Support and Scholarships. The unit awarding the tuition remission is responsible for maintaining written documentation supporting tuition remission advertising, eligibility criteria, application, selection, notification, and terms for renewal if applicable. Remissions cannot exceed tuition charges. Remissions cannot be applied to non-tuition charges (e.g., fees, books, and supplies).

Refunds: 
Remissions are tuition waivers. As such, remissions cannot exceed tuition charges and are not refundable to students or other individuals or organizations.

Recordkeeping Responsibilities:
Record keeping occurs within the academic or administrative unit awarding the tuition remission. In all of the tuition remission programs mentioned above, unless otherwise directed by state statute or institutional policy, identified student records are maintained within the awarding unit for five (5) years after degree completion or date of last attendance, whichever is sooner (in accordance with the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Records Retention Schedule 170-17-14).

Monitoring and Reporting Responsibilities:
Responsibility for monitoring and reporting tuition remission is shared by UNO Enrollment Management and UNO Business and Finance including adoption of written policies and procedures and implementation of appropriate methods for calculating and reporting the value and number of tuition remissions. Enrollment Management and Business and Finance also monitor the UNO tuition remissions budgeted expenditures, actual expenditures, and projections. In addition, UNO participates in internal audits of tuition remissions conducted by University of Nebraska Central Administration (UNCA) Internal Audit and Advisory Services and external audits conducted by the State of Nebraska.

Creation of New or Alteration of Existing Tuition Remissions Programs:
Academic or administrative units that wish to create a new tuition remission program or alter an existing tuition remission program must submit a formal request to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who will notify the UNO Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the proposal and ask the Task Force to review the proposal.

At a minimum, the request should include the following items:

1. a rationale for the addition of or change in the program
2. a revenue calculation that includes an anticipated return on investment (ROI)
3. an estimate of the impact on the UNO tuition remissions budget
4. a follow-up plan for analyzing the impact of the addition or change in the program one year after implementation.

The Task Force will make a recommendation to the UNO Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. If approved, the proposal will be forwarded to the UNO Chancellor for final review and distribution to the Chancellor’s Cabinet. Ultimately, the UNO Chancellor must approve all new tuition remission programs and any changes to existing tuition remission programs in writing.

Policy Review: 
The institutional remissions policy is reviewed on a regular basis and any revisions will be made in accordance with the process identified in UNO’s ‘Establishing Campus Policies’ policy. 

Definitions

Tuition remissions are a form of financial aid awarded to students based upon specific eligibility criteria. For the purposes of this policy, the term “tuition remission” will be considered the same as a tuition waiver and will denote the reduction or elimination of tuition charges. Tuition remissions are foregone revenue for UNO and/or the University of Nebraska (NU) system and must be used strategically and in ways that support UNO’s and NU’s mission, vision, and values. UNO tuition remissions are awarded to attract students who demonstrate superior academic performance, financial need, and/or other special skills or attributes that will enhance the student body and who are likely to choose another institution were it not for receiving a tuition remission.

Types of Tuition Remission Programs

Tuition remission programs are classified as academic-based, need-based, or membership-based and are defined as follows:

• Academic-based remissions are awarded on the basis of academic performance or achievement (e.g. grade point average, high school class ranking, ACT/SAT score);
• Need-based remissions are awarded on the basis of financial need as determined bu the Estimated Family Contribution calculated on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and
• Membership-based remissions are awarded on the basis of membership in a group (e.g. athletics, military service personnel, veteran, employee spouse, employee dependent).

Related Information

BOR Records Retention Schedule 170-17: Student Records

History

Policy approved by Chancellor’s Cabinet on June 19, 2019.

The Tuition Remission Task Force was formed in Fall 2012 by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. A campuswide group with broad representation, the Task Force was charged with identifying means of using remissions to more efficiently and effectively achieve enrollment goals. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, information on remissions policies and procedures was gathered and the availability of data for decision making was explored. Starting in 2016-17, the Task Force began making a series of data informed recommendations to ensure that UNO was using remissions strategically to achieve institutional mission and enrollment goals.