Interim DCU Scholarship Policy | Dublin City University

Introduction

This policy applies to University student scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate taught level and outlines the requirements for consistency of process and procedures in relation to:

Developing and approving new scholarships
Administering scholarships
Amending existing scholarships

“Scholarship” refers to awards of monetary value or equivalent, including fee discounts and financial aid, based on academic merit and non-academic award criteria. Scholarships may be funded from any combination of:

DCU Budgets allocated from DCU Core Grant, Student Fees and Other Income
External Sponsors via the DCU Educational Trust
Other External sponsors.

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure transparent process and overall procedural consistency across University scholarships while allowing sufficient flexibility for Faculties, units and scholarship funders to administer their scholarships in a manner appropriate to their core objectives. The University seeks to collate information on existing DCU scholarship opportunities and to support the promotion of these scholarships to prospective and current students.

Scope

The Policy applies to DCU scholarships at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught that are:

Awarded, or maintained, based on merit-based achievements and/or
Awarded or maintained based on non-academic achievements and/or
Involve a monetary benefit and/or
Involve a benefit in kind and/or
Employ the DCU brand.

The Policy, which is presented as an Interim Policy, does not apply to DCU Postgraduate Research related scholarships. PGR scholarships and their associated approval and administration processes are currently under review by the Scholarship Advisory Committee (SAC) to determine if such fall under the remit of SAC and thus the University’s Scholarship Policy.

Policy Statement

This Policy applies to University scholarships awarded to students undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate taught studies.
Scholarships must be in alignment with the University’s mission and strategic objectives.
Scholarship Advisory Committee (SAC) is responsible for oversight in relation to scholarship policy, regulations and awarding criteria to ensure transparency, accountability and relevance.
Scholarship administrators in faculties and units will ensure the accuracy and rigour of all scholarship processes to facilitate effective delivery to students and funders. Scholarship administration will include promotion of scholarships through the university website and other appropriate communication channels.
Proposals for new DCU scholarships must be submitted to the SAC for approval on behalf of the Executive.
Administration of scholarships will adhere to the principles of data management as outlined in the University’s Data Privacy Policy and Data Retention Policy.
This Policy does not extend to externally funded and administered awards, e.g. Chartered Accountancy Ireland Awards (own criteria, own selection and sponsoring students directly).
Scholarship Payments, Fee Discounts and Fee Waivers will be managed by the Scholarship administrator in consultation with the Fees Office/Registry.
Scholarship administrators will consult, where applicable, with the DCU Educational Trust and the Finance Office.

Roles & Responsibilities

Scholarship Advisory Committee (SAC)

The SAC is responsible for:

developing, implementing and reviewing the University Scholarships Policy
approving and periodically reviewing criteria, conditions and regulations associated with University scholarships
reviewing and approving proposals for the establishment of new scholarships
making recommendations to the Executive in respect of proposed changes, including cessation, to existing scholarships
advising the Executive on strategy in relation to merit-based scholarships
approving and periodically reviewing procedures to assure quality and ensure equity in relation to the allocation of scholarships, including any related appeals processes
reporting annually to the Executive.

Scholarship Administrator

The Scholarship Administrator is responsible for:

working with Faculty Manager/Unit Director to draft a detailed specification for all new scholarships being offered by the Faculty or professional unit
ensuring the integrity of the scholarship information and administrative processes
where relevant, liaising with the DCU Educational Trust, or external sponsor, regarding naming rights and other terms and conditions associated with the donor sponsorship of a scholarship
agreeing budget and financial model with the Finance Office
advertising and promoting the Scholarship
coordinating call for applications and the selection process
Co-ordinating the payment/fee waiver discount
Approving the scholarship detail for each student
monitoring impact of the scholarship
ensuring GDPR compliance in respect of applicant records and data.

Executive Dean / Unit Director

The Executive Dean/Unit Director is responsible for all scholarships offered through the Faculty or Unit as applicable, including formal approval of budget, branding and marketing plans for the scholarship.

Finance / Registry^{^[1]}

Processing approved fee waiver/discount and/or payment to students
Ensuring funds are correctly disbursed and paid to students, based on approved request from scholarship administrators
Financial tracking and reporting on scholarship expenditure.

DCU Educational Trust (DCUET)

DCUET is an independent legal entity governed by a Board of Trustees, responsible for developing philanthropic relationships to support the University’s mission to transform lives and societies. DCUET meets regularly with the University Senior Management and with faculties and units to coordinate fundraising priorities and donor strategies.
DCUET is responsible for investing philanthropically sourced scholarship funds to ensure availability of funding in line with scholarship commitments.
DCUET disburses scholarship funds to the University, in accordance with donors’ intentions.
DCUET liaises with faculties and units, where relevant, to provide assurance to donors that endowed funds are properly managed and disbursed in accordance with the donors’ intentions.

^{^[1]} Please note that this is a transitioning arrangement and is subject to change during this interim policy

Definitions

Scholarship	Scholarship refers to awards of monetary value or equivalent, based on academic merit, non-academic merit (e.g. Sport); fee discounts and financial aid. Scholarship funding is generally awarded with the intention of supporting the education expenses of the student, e.g. tuition fees (in part or in full), accommodation costs, transportation, books etc.
Fee Discount or Waiver	Fee discount or waiver reduces the amount to be paid by the student for tuition fees. Some scholarships cover fees in full (waiver), others reduce the fee payable by a percentage or set amount of funding (discount).
Bursary	Bursary refers to an award made based on a student’s personal circumstances to enhance their opportunities to access higher education. Bursaries generally offer support with course related costs but can also help students participate in other opportunities e.g.(internships; study abroad).
Externally Funded Scholarships	Externally Funded Scholarships can refer to A. Externally funded and assessed scholarships; where DCU is responsible for disbursement of funding to the scholarship recipients or B. Externally funded and administered scholarships, completely independent of DCU and therefore excluded from Scholarship Policy.
Scholarship Advisory Committee	Scholarship Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of the Executive established to provide oversight of DCU scholarships.
Scholarship Administrator	Scholarship Administrator means the primary contact with responsibility for the scholarship application and selection process on behalf of the Faculty, School or Unit.

Note: in DCU, the terms ‘Scholarship’, ‘Fee Discount’ ‘Fee Waiver’ and ‘Bursary’ are frequently used interchangeably and vary according to the specific scholarship and its purpose. For example, when promoting programmes globally, DCU may offer a ‘scholarship’ as opposed to a ‘fee discount’ to attract high-quality students from target groups.

Document Name	Interim DCU Scholarships Policy
Unit Owner	Office of the Executive Director for Engagement
Version Reference	Original Version – 1.0	Reviewed Version – N/a
Approved by	Executive
Effective Date	April 3^rd 2023