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International Education Fee Grant Guidelines
1.
Authority and Source of Funds:
The International Education Fee Grant
award program is authorized under a law passed by the
72nd
Legislature of the State of Texas. That law provides
that students of Lamar University
may vote to levy an
international education grant fee every long semester
to fund the grant.
The funds collected, according to
the legislative provision, may be used only to assist
students
in international study programs. No funds are
used to cover the costs of administrating the
program.
2. Definition:
For purposes of this program,
international study consists of any academic work done
outside
of the United States of America, which, in terms
of quality and subject matter, meets degree
and course
requirements of Lamar University.
3.
Awarding Authority:
The Director, Global Studies and
Study Abroad and the Global Studies and Study Abroad
Advisory Committee. Members include five members of the student body
appointed by the
president of the Lamar Student Government Association, two faculty members
from the
College of Arts and Sciences, and one faculty member from each of the
other colleges.
4.
Eligibility:
To be eligible to receive an
international education fee grant, students must meet
the following
minimum requirements:
a. Be enrolled in good
standing in a degree-granting program, or admitted
into a designated
degree program.
b. Have at Lamar
University a minimum 2.0 grade point average if an
undergraduate student or
3.0 grade point average if a
graduate student.
c. Be currently enrolled
at Lamar University at the time of application.
d. International
students, like all other students, are eligible to
apply for a Lamar-approved
study abroad program.
However, no money will be awarded to international
students for
study at Lamar University or in their
home country.
e. Students who are on
academic or disciplinary probation, or who have
delinquent financial
obligations to Lamar University
are not eligible.
f. All applicants must
be TASP or THEA compliant, and must be in attendance at Lamar
University.
g. All applicants must
propose international study that results in academic
credit either through
Lamar University or through an
institution whereby college credit hours are
transferable to
Lamar University. To determine
if a particular program is approved
for transfer to Lamar
University, please contact
the department chair(s) of the course(s)
you propose to study.
h. Submit a completed
application form, sign an acceptance agreement, and have the
Transfer
Certification Form signed by the department chair
and dean of the
discipline of the course
you will study abroad, indicating that the course will
transfer to Lamar University for
academic credit.
5.
Contractual Agreement:
In
applying for an International Education Fee Grant, each
student agrees that if he or she is
awarded a
scholarship, he or she agrees to the following:
a. To successfully
complete the academic requirements of the course or
program and to earn a
passing grade for each college
credit;
b. To follow all laws,
rules, and regulations of the host country and host
institution;
c. To obtain health
insurance to include repatriation insurance in so
much as Lamar University
nor the Texas State
University System is liable for repatriation
expenses in the event of
death or injury;
d. To obey all rules
and regulations of the organizers and sponsor of the
international program;
e. To accept personal
responsibility for his or her safety and health and
to exercise prudent
behavior insomuch as all
international travel involves potential risks to
personal health and
safety;
f. To indemnify Lamar
University, the Texas State University System, and
the State of Texas
and its agents from any liability
arising from participation in any international
program or
activity;
g. To inform the
Global Studies and Study Abroad Advisory committee
of any change in plans
concerning the international
course or program and to understand that if the
student elects not
to participate in the course
specified in the application after being awarded a
scholarship,
for whatever reason, he or she has
an affirmative responsibility to notify the Global
Studies
and Study Abroad Advisory Committee and to
return the funds;
h. To refund all or
part of the scholarship in the event of failure to
fulfill contractual
requirements, as determined by
the Global Studies and Study Abroad Advisory
Committee.
Failure
to comply with the above contractual conditions of the
scholarship may result in
punitive action against the
student which may include, but are not limited to, suit
for repayment
of scholarship funds, submission of
complaint against the student to the Office of Student
Life
for disciplinary action which may result in
suspension, termination, blocking a student from
registration, or blocking a student’s records. Criminal
violations may result in referral to
appropriate
authorities for appropriate action, which may include
prosecution.
6. Completion of Program:
Grants
are only awarded for programs resulting in academic
credit that is transferable and
counts toward a student’s
academic progress. Evidence of completion shall consist
of a
passing grade submitted by a Lamar University
professor and entered into a student’s LU
transcript or
a transcript issued by the host institution. As
previously stated, students must
furnish proof that the
course or program will be accepted by Lamar University,
in order to be
considered for a grant.
7. Amounts and Use of Scholarship Funds:
Grants
will be awarded in amounts determined by the Study
Abroad Advisory Committee (a)
LU
students enrolled in LU study abroad college credit
courses approved by the Texas
Coordinating Board for
Higher Education where more than 50 % of the course
content has
contact hours conducted abroad, and (b) for
international programs organized by other
institutions
so long as those hours are transferable to LU for
academic credit.
8. Right to Change Policies:
The
Global Studies and Study Abroad Advisory Committee and
Lamar University reserve the
right to change policies,
as circumstances require. This may include altering the
selection
criteria, the amounts of the scholarship or
any other conditions or terms. Such changes would
be
made public through the LU www homepage and only after
approval by the
administration. It is the goal of the
committee to have an efficient, fair grant program. The
committee is quite willing to propose changes to avoid unintended
results that conflict with
the program goals of
promoting international educational experiences for LU students. |
