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The grant-in-aid is intended to serve as a means of career (job-related) development as well as individual professional development. GIA shall be available to eligible employees whose proposed courses of study will, in the judgment of the president, enhance the value of the employee to the institution.
2.1.1 Eligibility
Any regular faculty member or administrative/ professional staff member at Tennessee Technological University who has been employed by the institution for two or more years may, upon the approval of the president, be eligible for receipt of a grant-in-aid award. Employees with temporary service immediately preceding regular employment shall receive credit for such service if they qualify for leave accrual and longevity adjustments. Requests for grants-in- aid shall be submitted on a Faculty or Administrative/Professional Staff Grant-in-Aid Recommendation Form (See Exhibit EB-1). The status of an employee on the published first day of classes for each term determines eligibility for participation in this program. Any change in status after the first day of classes shall not affect eligibility for that term or the amount of assistance received.
A. Award Basis
The grant-in-aid shall be awarded on the basis of demonstrated need for further academic development which will ultimately benefit the institution. Written justification must be submitted to the president.
B. Degree Requirements
Grants-in-aid normally will be limited to personnel working toward the doctorate, or other terminal degree. However, requests for aid to pursue degrees below the doctoral level in technical/professional disciplines, and for the training or retraining of administrative/ professional staff will be considered. All grants-in-aid should be recommended on the basis of the following priorities:
1. Requests from minority and female personnel,
2. Requests from tenured faculty,
3. Requests from tenured/non-tenured personnel of departments in which Tennessee Technological University desires further development.
C. Length of Grant-in-Aid
No grant-in-aid shall be awarded for a period longer than twelve (12) months. In general, a full-time grant-in-aid will be awarded on a one-time basis. If the program objectives are not achieved by the end of the designated period, Tennessee Technological University may grant a leave of absence for a maximum of an additional twelve-month period. A second grant-in-aid may only be awarded after the recipient has fulfilled the return employment commitment of the first award.
D. Full-Time Status
Grant recipients must be placed on an approved leave of absence and enroll as full-time students in credit courses except where less than full-time is needed to complete the program.
E. Change of Status
The status of an employee on the published first day of classes for each term determines eligibility for participation in this program. Any change in status after the first day of classes shall not affect eligibility for that term or the amount of assistance received.
2.l.2 Fees Paid/Type Course Paid/Number of Hours
This program is designed to provide an individual with institutional funds for tuition or maintenance fees and/or living allowances in accordance with the following provisions:
A. Reimbursement of tuition-related fees may not exceed actual maintenance fees or tuition. Tuition-related fees may include maintenance fees, tuition, debt service fees, service charges and incidental fees payable at the time of registration, but shall not include room, board and supplies.
B. Monthly living allowances may not exceed 50% of the grantee's monthly salary. Academic year salaries are to be divided by nine to derive an equal monthly salary rate.
2.1.3 Payback Provisions
A Faculty or Administrative/Professional Staff Grant-in-Aid Contract (See Exhibit EB-2) shall be executed between the institution and the recipient of the grant-in-aid stating the conditions under which the grant-in-aid is awarded. The conditions of a grant-in-aid shall comply with the following minimum requirements:
A. The recipient shall be required to return and be employed by the institution for not less than three months of full-time employment for each month of grant-in-aid awarded. Repayment of time shall commence immediately after completion of the period of study, or withdrawal from program. In exchange for reimbursement of allowable expenses, a participant will commit to work for the sponsoring institution or if no appropriate employment is available, at one of the other Tennessee Board of Regents institutions or within the University of Tennessee system.
B. Failure on the part of the recipient to remain employed for the period of time agreed upon in the contract shall result in a financial obligation to the institution based upon the terms of the contract. The contract specifies that if employment is terminated prior to fulfillment of the employment obligation, the final paycheck and check representing the amount of accrued, but unused annual leave may be withheld as repayment of the financial obligation. If such amounts are insufficient to recoup the amount owed by the employee, the institution has the option of pursuing one of two methods to achieve repayment as stated below:
1. The amount or balance owed shall become an account receivable and the institution shall follow the procedure outlined in the Tennessee Board of Regents Guideline B- 010, Accounts Receivable - Employee Receivables. If payment in full is not obtained, the debt shall be assigned to a collection agency; or
2. The employee will be required to execute a promissory note (See Exhibit EB-3) acknowledging receipt of the grant-in-aid and containing repayment terms and conditions consistent with the grant-in- aid contract prior to the employee leaving the institution should he/she fail to fully complete the employment requirements of the contract.
C. Summer or short-term employment shall be considered part-time employment in cases where the employee holds an academic year appointment. No part-time employment shall be creditable toward the fulfillment of the contract.
2.1.4 When the Participant May Attend
After approval, the institution may issue and execute the contract stating to the recipient the conditions under which the grant-in-aid is awarded.
2.1.5 Accounting/Budgeting Provisions
A. The number of grants-in-aid shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the number of full-time faculty and administrative/professional staff at the institution at the time the awards are requested. At institutions where the number of full-time faculty and administrative/ professional staff totals less than one hundred (100), three (3) such grants may be awarded.
B. Requests for grants-in-aid shall be submitted (using the form in Exhibit EB-1) to the president for approval prior to the beginning of the semester. After approval, the institution may issue and execute the contract.
C. Complete materials supporting each grant-in-aid request shall be maintained. Also, each grant recipient shall be required to provide the president with official grade reports during and upon completion of the grant period. Continual participation is dependent on the recipient's satisfactory progress toward completion of a course of study.
2.1.6 Where the Participant May Attend
Participants may attend public and private institutions of higher education. Requests for grants-in-aid for participants will be reimbursed at the current semester hour rate for that institution.