Spring Break
Admin re-evaluating study abroad scholarship policy
by Jillian Wagner
News Editor
News | 1/27/09
Posted online at 7:37 AM EST on 1/27/09
/ Last updated at 7:23 PM EST on 1/27/09
The administration is re-evaluating the new policy that made merit-based scholarships nontransferable to study abroad programs, according to Dean of Financial Services Peter Giumette.
The change was instituted by the Division of Students and Enrollment and announced in an e-mail sent out Jan. 16.
Giumette said he was "surprised" when Student Union President Jason Gray '10 showed him and other administrators a few examples of merit scholar letters that included the clause, "These awards may be used for approved study abroad programs." Merit scholar letters for the Justice Brandeis Scholarship, Dean's Award and the Presidential Scholarship sent to members of the class of 2011-but not to the class of 2012-included this phrase, he said.
"Given the financial situation that we're in, it may be necessary for incoming classes, but it's unacceptable for students who were already recruited to this campus under the promise of portability," Gray said.
The other policy changes entail that students will be required to submit a preliminary study abroad form by Feb. 15, 2009 in order to become eligible to study abroad and that they must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 from the time they submit this preliminary form until they go abroad.
Tanya Kostochka '11 and Chris Lau '12, two Justice Brandeis Scholars, created a Facebook group and a petition against the University's decision regarding merit-based scholarships. Lau and Kostochka plan on delivering the petitions to University President Jehuda Reinharz Feb. 2 to try to get the decision reversed.
The petition speaks on behalf of merit scholar recipients, Brandeis faculty, International and Global Studies majors and Brandeis students in general. It reads, "We are frustrated that the new policy will curtail or even effectively eliminate our ability to follow our passions to study abroad because in many cases our estimated need-based aid simply does not accurately represent the aid we need."
The change was instituted by the Division of Students and Enrollment and announced in an e-mail sent out Jan. 16.
Giumette said he was "surprised" when Student Union President Jason Gray '10 showed him and other administrators a few examples of merit scholar letters that included the clause, "These awards may be used for approved study abroad programs." Merit scholar letters for the Justice Brandeis Scholarship, Dean's Award and the Presidential Scholarship sent to members of the class of 2011-but not to the class of 2012-included this phrase, he said.
"Given the financial situation that we're in, it may be necessary for incoming classes, but it's unacceptable for students who were already recruited to this campus under the promise of portability," Gray said.
The other policy changes entail that students will be required to submit a preliminary study abroad form by Feb. 15, 2009 in order to become eligible to study abroad and that they must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 from the time they submit this preliminary form until they go abroad.
Tanya Kostochka '11 and Chris Lau '12, two Justice Brandeis Scholars, created a Facebook group and a petition against the University's decision regarding merit-based scholarships. Lau and Kostochka plan on delivering the petitions to University President Jehuda Reinharz Feb. 2 to try to get the decision reversed.
The petition speaks on behalf of merit scholar recipients, Brandeis faculty, International and Global Studies majors and Brandeis students in general. It reads, "We are frustrated that the new policy will curtail or even effectively eliminate our ability to follow our passions to study abroad because in many cases our estimated need-based aid simply does not accurately represent the aid we need."
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