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Staff Assembly Scholarship for Continued Education

Staff Assembly Scholarship for Continued Education Application

Deadline:  March 1, 2024

Program Description

The Staff Assembly Scholarship for Continued Education was created to provide financial support for staff who are working on expanding their educational growth at an accredited institution by earning an associate degree, obtaining their bachelor’s degree, or expanding their breadth of knowledge in a master or doctoral program. The specific award amount and the number of scholarships awarded will vary based on the available funds each fiscal year.

 

The Staff Assembly Scholarship is offered once a year. Recipients of the scholarship are selected from a committee comprised of volunteer staff across the campus and led by member/s of the Staff Assembly Board. A call will be made to recruit committee members for the selection process once the application is open. Committee members are not eligible to apply for the scholarship.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to receive a staff scholarship:

  • Be a UC Merced
    • Career non-represented or represented staff member (past probationary period of employment status)
    • Contract non-represented or represented staff with a least 12 continuous months of employment prior to submission
  • Applicant must be in good standing (not in the process of corrective action).
  • Currently enrolled or will be enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution within the calendar year.
    • If currently enrolled, staff must be in good academic standing (unofficial transcript will be requested which will also satisfy the proof of enrollment)
    • If planning to enroll, staff should provide details of the program and expected enrollment in the Statement of Purpose.
  • Staff member must continue their education while concurrently employed at the University of California, Merced.
  • Preference will be given to staff who did not receive a scholarship in the previous award cycle.

 

 

Elements of the Application

  • Biographical information (name, employee ID, contact information, etc.)
  • Statement of purpose (max of 500 words/5,000 characters)
  • Campus contribution essay (max of 500 words/5,000 characters)
  • Financial need statement (max of 500 words/5,000 characters)
  • Proof of enrollment (Ex: Acceptance Letter, Transcript, Proof of Course Registration)

Awards

  • Scholarship recipients will be notified of their awards by summer of the awarding year.
  • The amount of any scholarship funds is at the final discretion of the Staff Assembly Executive Board.
  • Amount and number of scholarships awarded will vary and will be based on the amount of available funding.
  • All scholarship awards will be provided as a reimbursement paid upon submission of course receipt. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for submitting all necessary receipts and forms to Staff Assembly within 45 days of the listed purchase date. Please note that expense reports submitted more than 60 days after the listed purchase date/trip end date on any receipts will be subject to applicable payroll taxes, per UC policy.
  • All reimbursements will be made directly to the scholarship recipient. UC Merced Staff Assembly cannot reimburse departments, programs, or other third-party organizations.
  • Please note that your scholarship may be subject to federal and state taxes. To determine if you are required to claim the Scholarship when filing your income taxes, please visit IRS Publication 970 - Tax Benefits for Education.
      • Recipients may need to report the Staff Assembly scholarship award on their FAFSA application which may impact their financial aid award eligibility.
      • Graduate Degrees: Staff Assembly may need to confirm if the student received reduced tuition, as additional tax reporting may be needed. Additional tax withholding may also be required if the annual reduced tuition amount and Staff Assembly scholarship together exceed $5,250.

Reporting

  • Upon completion of a term/program and no later than the end of the academic year the scholarship was awarded, recipients are required to submit proof of completion of course work along with a statement of impact or presentation to Staff Assembly on an area or topic learned.