Need help finding document for Students Rights--Policy on Scholarship Acceptance

Paying for College
1

I am looking for documentation about accepting a scholarship offer. Pasted below is an old post from CC that answers my question–but the links don’t work. Can anyone help me find this policy from NACAC?

I can’t post a link to the blog, but Carolyn Lawrence’s AdmissionsAdvice blog states as follows:
Some students have reported receiving letters from their rolling admissions and Early action schools offering a merit scholarship with a caveat saying that they must accept the scholarship and send in their agreement to attend that school, before the May 1 Candidate’s Reply Date.

The truth is that you are not obligated to to reply to ANY school before May 1. If schools offer you a scholarship that is contingent on agreeing to attend before that date, you have, under National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) guidelines, the right to request an extension of the scholarship offer to May 1.

You can cite National Association of College Admissions Counselor (NACAC )rules when doing this and give the following link as evidence:

http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/AFFAECF7-52FC-4E33-A829-6D5E7CE3BAE8/0/policy_student_rights.pdf

Again, colleges that request commitments for admission offers or financial offers prior to May 1 MUST offer candidates the opportunity to request (in writing) the opportunity to postpone their decision until May 1, even if they say initially that the offer is only good if attendance is accepted before then. If any school balks, report them to the NACAC.

The link in the blog doesn’t work, though - try this one instead:

http://www.nacacnet.org/AboutNACAC/Policies/Documents/StudentsRtsNEW.pdf

2

Call the colleges and explain that you would like an extension until May 1 to make your decision.

3

If a college is part of NACAC they have signed an agreement to abide by the May 1 decision date. If they are not part of NACAC, though, they can do whatever they want. You can Google NACAC for the policy, but again, it only makes a difference if the school is a member. I say this because I work at a graduate school that is not bound by NACAC rules.

4

kelsmom-- Thank you for taking the time to reply. I am aware of the NACAC policy, but it is an outside foundation giving the scholarship even though it is only given at this one university. Do you know if the foundation is also bound by this policy since the school receiving the benefit of the scholarship is a NACAC member?

5

Outside scholarships can do anything they want as they are not university awards.

6

A private foundation scholarship can set whatever deadlines it wants to. However, it can’t bind you to go to this school. If you accept the admissions and the scholarship, there is nothing saying you have to withdraw applications to other schools.

7

The above posts are correct - private foundations can set whatever requirements they want on deadlines.