The University of Oklahoma
Post Eligibility Scholarship Program
Standard Operating Procedure
The Sooners For Life Scholarship Program was created to assist former student-athletes complete their undergraduate degree and/or pursue a graduate degree. This world-class program has a variety of opportunities in which we are reinforcing our athletic department’s mission to develop leaders and inspire champions.
Former student-athletes are able to apply for the Sooners For Life Scholarship program through the Varsity O website. The scholarship program only offers funding for the fall and spring semesters within an academic year and the summer semester will be evaluated on an academic year basis based on available funding.
Prioritization/Categories of Student-Athletes:
1. Scholarship student-athletes who have not earned their first degree
a. People who are within 30 hours of graduating
b. People who are in Year 6
2. Incoming graduate transfer who starts a degree at OU
3. Students who are pursuing a new undergraduate degree that could not have completed while competing
4. Continuing graduate coursework that was started prior to exhausting eligibility (at the start of sixth year)
5. Starting a second undergraduate degree and/or graduate degree after exhausting eligibility
6. Former student-athletes who were not on aid during their time of competition but are finishing a degree or starting a new one (undergraduate or graduate)
7. Graduate students with a graduate assistantship or other tuition waiver
Categories & Award Percentage (subject to funding availability):
Financial Support
Scholarship Committee (4)
Eligibility
Process of F, W, AW, U
Process of I
Timeline
Fall
Spring
Funding Timeline
Other
The Sooners For Life Scholarship Program was created to assist former student-athletes complete their undergraduate degree and/or pursue a graduate degree. This world-class program has a variety of opportunities in which we are reinforcing our athletic department’s mission to develop leaders and inspire champions.
Former student-athletes are able to apply for the Sooners For Life Scholarship program through the Varsity O website. The scholarship program only offers funding for the fall and spring semesters within an academic year and the summer semester will be evaluated on an academic year basis based on available funding.
Prioritization/Categories of Student-Athletes:
1. Scholarship student-athletes who have not earned their first degree
a. People who are within 30 hours of graduating
b. People who are in Year 6
2. Incoming graduate transfer who starts a degree at OU
3. Students who are pursuing a new undergraduate degree that could not have completed while competing
4. Continuing graduate coursework that was started prior to exhausting eligibility (at the start of sixth year)
5. Starting a second undergraduate degree and/or graduate degree after exhausting eligibility
6. Former student-athletes who were not on aid during their time of competition but are finishing a degree or starting a new one (undergraduate or graduate)
7. Graduate students with a graduate assistantship or other tuition waiver
Categories & Award Percentage (subject to funding availability):
- 1-3: 100%
- 4: 75%
- 5-6: 50%
- 7: Up to $1,000
Financial Support
- If a student-athlete falls within the priority structure, we are able to cover tuition and fees at the designated percentage for up to 12 hours per semester, depending on funding availability.
- Monies will be allocated first from the endowed scholarships and then the S4LSP operational budget.
- Award recipients are eligible for the coverage of book purchase through the University’s approved vendor.
- We will not reimburse for books previously purchased
Scholarship Committee (4)
- Senior AD of Academic Services
- Director of Compliance for Financial Aid
- Director of Varsity O
- Sooners For Life Program Coordinator
Eligibility
- Applicants must complete the S4LSP application in its entirety.
- Undergraduate - provide the scholarship committee documentation of correspondence with campus advisor.
- Graduate - must provide updated program of study form to scholarship committee.
- All former student-athletes are encouraged to apply. However, awards are not guaranteed
- Awards can only be used for OU coursework.
- Awards for the summer semester are based on available funding
Process of F, W, AW, U
- Students will not be eligible for aid for the next semester if they receive this identifier for 3 hours or less of coursework. Students will have the opportunity to reapply for the next available academic year.
- Students who receive these identifiers in more than three hours of coursework, will be responsible for paying for and successfully completing at least six hours of coursework prior to receiving future aid through the scholarship program.
Process of I
- Aid for future semesters may not be considered/awarded until all incompletes have been successfully completed and documented.
Timeline
Fall
- Application Opens - April 15
- Application Closes - June 30
- Award Notification - No later than July 30
- Notification award letter will be sent with an approved % based on the number of enrolled hours
- Please communicate any enrollment changes to SoonersForLifeScholarship@ou.edu within the first week of classes. Requests for funding associated with increased course load will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Spring
- Application Opens - September 15
- Application Closes - November 30
- Award Notification - No later than December 30
- Notification award letter will be sent with an approved % based on the number of enrolled hours
- Please communicate any enrollment changes to SoonersForLifeScholarship@ou.edu within the first week of classes. Requests for funding associated with increased course load will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Funding Timeline
- Funding will be distributed within 7-10 business days to your bursar account after the add/drop date. There will be no late fees assessed if there is a delay in processing.
Other
- The Scholarship Oversight committee reserves the right to appeal the process laid out above.
