ABAC 7.3.4.1 -- Out of State Tuition Waivers
The following sections shall apply to ABAC’s award of “Presidential Waivers,” as provided in USG BOR Policy Section 7.3.4.1, adopted September 9, 2014 and “Border Waivers”, as provided in USG BOR Policy Section 7.3.4.1, adopted March 18, 2015. Award of any other types of waivers will be in accordance with BOR Policy, as written.
Presidential Waivers
“Presidential Waivers” (previously known as out-of-state and out-of-nation tuition differential waivers) include Presidential Academic Waivers, Presidential Athletic Waivers, and Presidential International Waivers. They shall be awarded as follows:
· Authority. The determination of the number of Presidential Waivers to be offered and the calculation of critical academic criteria values shall reside with the Vice President for Finance and Operations (VPFO). The VPFO, or his/her designee, shall approve the award of all Presidential Waivers.
· Determination of the number of waivers available for award. The number of waivers awarded during any academic year shall not exceed two percent (2.0%) of the full-time equivalent students enrolled at ABAC during the fall term immediately preceding the term for which the out-of-state tuition is to be waived. The applicable fall term FTE shall be the official value reported to the USG for inclusion in the USG Fall Semester Enrollment Report.
· Award period. Waivers shall be awarded for the academic year. For example, the fall semester, the succeeding spring semester, and the succeeding summer semester, if applicable. Summer semester waivers shall be awarded only to academically-eligible students who were enrolled during spring semester and who meet the academic eligibility requirements for continuation the next fall semester.
· Waiver increments. Presidential Waivers (all three types) shall be awarded in 0.5 FTE equivalents, meaning that only 50% and 100% waivers shall be allowed. Regardless of the number of students who receive awards and the types of awards, the sum total of Presidential Waivers shall not exceed the limit prescribed by Board of Regents Policy.
· Eligibility. Initial eligibility will be determined at the point of initial matriculation, as follows:
Eligibility Criteria | Academic | Athletic | International |
| New students (first-time, full-time students plus inbound transfer students with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credits). | ||
Freshman index, or Admissions HSGPA, or SAT (Math + Verbal), or ACT (Math + Verbal). | The average value for freshman and inbound transfer (<30 semester hrs) students who matriculated the previous four (4) fall semesters. | Values equal to 90% (0.90) of the values for students receiving the Presidential Academic Waiver. | Values equal to 90% (0.90) of the values for students receiving the Presidential Academic Waiver. |
| Inbound transfer students with more than 30 semester hours of transferable credits. | ||
Transfer GPA | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Returning and/or continuing students | ||
Overall GPA | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
For students matriculating in the fall, eligibility for continuation of the Presidential Waiver shall be determined at the end of the fall semester. Students whose overall grade point average (OGPA) is less than 2.5 shall be notified by letter that they will receive the waiver for spring semester under warning. If they fail to bring their OGPA up to 2.5, or higher, they may not be considered for waiver during the following academic year. This requirement applies to all students who receive a Presidential Waiver.
For students who matriculate for the first time in spring semester, Presidential Waivers will be awarded for the spring semester. These students shall be subject to the terms of waiver applicable to returning students.
Students who did not receive a Presidential Waiver upon initial matriculation shall be eligible for waiver consideration in subsequent semesters if their OGPA is greater than 2.5.
· Ineligibility. Students who are eligible for Academic Common Market Waivers shall not receive Presidential Waivers.
· Limits. Presidential Athletic Waivers shall not exceed one third (1/3) of the total number of Presidential Waivers which the institution is eligible to offer.
· Requirement. Recipients are required to live in campus housing.
Border Resident Waivers
Border Resident Waivers, colloquially referred to as “Neighbor Waivers” at ABAC, shall be awarded as follows:
· Authority. The VPFO, or his/her designee, shall approve the award of all Border Resident Waivers. ABAC was authorized to offer Border Resident Waivers on March 18, 2015. Approval is for a period of three years, or through the end of spring semester 2018. Authorization to offer Border Resident Waivers after that time is dependent upon approval by the USG Board of Regents.
· Determination of the number of waivers available for award. There is presently no limit on the number of Border Resident Waivers to be awarded. Authority to limit Border Resident Waivers shall reside with the USG BOR.
· Award period. Upon proving eligibility, students will be awarded the Border Resident Waiver so long as they are continuously enrolled at the institution, maintain academic eligibility, and reside in on-campus housing. If a student fails to remain continuously enrolled, he/she must reestablish eligibility upon re-enrollment. Summer semester waivers shall be awarded to academically eligible students who were enrolled during Spring term and meet the housing requirement for Spring.
· Waiver increments. All Border Resident Waivers shall be for 100% of the prevailing out-of-state differential.
· Eligibility. Initial eligibility for Border Resident Waivers will be determined at the point of initial matriculation, as follows:
Eligibility criteria | Students enrolled prior to fall semester 2015. | Students enrolled fall semester 2015, or thereafter. |
Lawfully present in the U.S. | Required | Required |
State residency (dependent students) | Parents or legal guardian was domiciled in eligible state for 12 consecutive months prior to first day of class. Claimed as a dependent on parent’s or guardian’s tax return. | Parents or legal guardian domiciled in eligible state for 12 consecutive months prior to first day of class. Claimed as a dependent on parent’s or guardian’s tax return. |
State of residency (independent student) | Student was domiciled in eligible state for 12 consecutive months prior to first day of class. | Student was domiciled in eligible state for 12 consecutive months prior to first day of class. |
Continuation of eligibility (move of parents or guardian of dependent student) | If parents, or legal guardian, of a student receiving a Border Resident Waiver move from bordering state, the Border Resident Waiver shall remain in effect so long as the student is continuously enrolled. | If parents, or legal guardian, of a student receiving a Border Resident Waiver move from bordering state, the Border Resident Waiver shall remain in effect so long as the student is continuously enrolled. |
Initial academic eligibility | Overall GPA (OGPA) >2.0 | Eligible for regular admission. |
Recipients must live in campus housing |
|
|
Military
In accordance with USG BOR policy, ABAC affirms its intent to waive out-of-state tuition for the following:
1. Active duty military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children who meet one of the following:
· The military sponsor is currently stationed in or assigned to Georgia; or,
· The military sponsor previously stationed in or assigned to Georgia is reassigned outside of Georgia, and the student(s) remain(s) continuously enrolled in a Georgia high school, Technical College System of Georgia institution, and/or a University System of Georgia institution; or,
· The military sponsor is reassigned outside of Georgia and the spouse and dependent children remain in Georgia; or,
· The military sponsor is stationed in a state contiguous to the Georgia border and reside in Georgia; or
· Dependent children of a military sponsor, previously stationed in or assigned to Georgia within the previous five years, and/or the child completed at least one year of high school in Georgia; or,
· Any student utilizing VA educational benefits transferred from a currently serving military member is also eligible.
2. Active members of the Georgia National Guard stationed or assigned to Georgia or active members of a unit of the U.S. Military Reserves based in Georgia, and their spouses and their dependent children.
3. Separated military members from a uniformed military service of the United States who meet one of the following:
· Individuals who within thirty-six (36) months of separation from such service, enroll in an academic program and demonstrate intent to become domiciled in Georgia. This waiver may also be granted to their spouses and dependent children.
· Any separated service member or any student utilizing transferred VA educational benefits, and physically residing in the state, who enrolls within one hundred-twenty (120) months of separation is also eligible.
· Any individual as described in 38 U.S.C.3679(c).
(BOR Minutes, June 2004; October 2008; October 2013; March 2016; May 2017)