The USGA Textbook Award was developed in 2020 by the USGA, supported by the drafted legislation: A Resolution in Support of Establishing A USGA Funded Textbook Award Program. The Textbook Award Program operates as listed:
General Information
- The USGA Division of Finance and the Financial Support Coordinator shall operate to support the Administration of the USGA Textbook Award. The application process and selection of candidates shall be carried out by the Office of Student Conduct & Outreach in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
- The Financial Support Coordinator(s) are to seek out additional financial contributors and partners, structure the application process, provide additional financial resources for students, and adhere to FERPA guidelines.
- The USGA Textbook Award Application must be completed and submitted. This application may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Proof of registration
- A fair representation of expense estimate
- A statement of financial need
- The USGA will grant funding only at the start of each semester during the decided redemption period.
Applicant Information
- All applicants must be enrolled as degree-seeking, undergraduate students at both the time of request and the time of receiving the award. Additionally, students must be enrolled in at least one credit hour of classes during the semester in which funds will be used. Applicants who applied in semesters prior are eligible for reapplication, independent of award status.
- Applications for funding must be received before the application deadline during the semester prior to the one in which funding will be dispersed.
- Funds must be accessed only in the redemption period decided each semester prior. Any funds remaining after the pre-established redemption period will be forfeited by the student and allocated back to USGA for the next semester’s Textbook Award. Each award recipient will receive $250.
- Students with greater demonstrated financial need will be given priority for consideration. Awards will be granted on a first come, first served basis.
Award Restrictions
- Eligible materials that can be purchased with the Textbook Award include textbooks, e-books, and access codes. While Textbook Award funds can be used toward rental materials, students will be responsible for any additional fees incurred during the rental period, including damage, replacement, and late fees.
- Online orders cannot be fulfilled with funds from the Textbook Award unless otherwise indicated by the UAB Bookstore policies.
Requirements:
- Name: The name of the organization may contain, but cannot start with, "UAB."
- Membership: The organization must have 5 active members.
- Faculty Staff Advisor: The organization must have a full-time UAB faculty or staff member serve as the advisor who will serve as the Engage primary administrator.
- Constitution: Each organization much provide a copy of the organization's constitution. It must include the current UAB Nondiscrimination Clause. A template for generating a constitution is provided in the RSO Handbook.
- Tax ID/Funding: Any group that handles money must maintain proper financial accounts. These accounts should not be the same as any one individual's account and should be set up by applying for a Tax ID (called EIN by the IRS) specific to the group. Organizations must have a Tax ID to request funding from USGA.
- Registration: Only when you have completed steps 1-5, register the new organization through Engage to apply to become a UAB Registered Student Organization.
More detailed directions may be found in the RSO Handbook.
A registered student organization is a club or organization of the University whose membership is composed of UAB students, or a combination of students, faculty, and staff; which has complied with the registration procedures to be officially registered and in good standing with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.