A primary objective of scholarships is to promote the recruitment and retention of high academic achievers. Scholarships also promote the access to higher education to students with special needs or facing financial hardship.

The long term success of the University is tied to the achievements of its graduates in their professional and social lives. Academic achievers enhance the reputation of the University as they have increased chances of success after graduation. They bring therefore added value to the degrees conferred by the University. They also act, during their studies, as role models to other students, thus increasing the overall academic performance in the institution.

The effort to recruit the best possible students on the basis of academic achievement is complemented by the social responsibility of the university to provide access to higher education to those students with aspirations and academic capabilities, but who are unable to pursue post secondary studies due to special needs, disabilities, or financial hardship.

The priority in granting scholarships will be to encourage new students to enter the University. When appropriate, scholarships may also be awarded to returning students.

The University will offer scholarships equal to a portion of full academic fees for a period of two regular semesters, for a total of seventeen (17) students as shown in the table below. For two (2) of the seventeen students, the criteria and percentages are left to the discretion of the CEO and Chancellor of the University. The Scholarships are renewable.
Typical Scholarships’ Distribution and Amounts

The scholarships will be coordinated with the University’s fee reduction program and the two programs may not apply concurrently.                     

3.1 Applications for scholarships will be reviewed by a Scholarship Committee who will recommend recipients to the CEO and Chancellor.

3.2 Members of the Committee are nominated by the President of the University.

3.3 The Committee is composed, in addition to the Registrar, of a representative from each of the following departments:

a. Academic Affairs
b. Finance
c. Student Affairs
d. Student Counseling

In addition to a:

e. A Scholarship Coordinator, whose role is to act as the Secretary of the Committee in charge, in addition to normal secretarial duties, of identifying eligible candidates, verifying eligibility for incoming and returning students, and coordinating the follow up of recipients’ progress in their studies.

3.4 The Registrar chairs the Committee.

3.5 The role of the Committee is to identify, receive, review, and rank applications and to make recommendations to the CEO and Chancellor who nominates the recipients.

3.6 The CEO calls for a meeting of the Scholarship Committee at the beginning of each semester.

3.7 The Committee and the CEO review policies and procedures and decide on (i) priorities in the order of proceedings, and (ii) the distribution of scholarships between incoming and returning students..

3.8 To be eligible for a Scholarship, a new student must be accepted into one of CUD’s degree programs and meet the criteria outlined in Section 4 below.

3.9 Scholarships awards will be announced two weeks following the end of the official registration period. To confirm her/his acceptance of a scholarship, each recipient is expected to complete a Recipient Profile that can be used by the University for promotional purposes.

3.10 The Scholarships Coordinator and the Committee members are responsible for the follow up of recipients’ academic status and progress.

3.11 A Scholarship entitles the recipient to a waiver of tuition for up to 2 regular (Fall and Spring) semesters from the time of first registration until graduation. It does not cover courses taken in the summer terms. However, the student’s cumulative grade point average used for assessing eligibility, applying selection’s criteria, and renewal, includes courses taken during summer terms.
To maintain eligibility, a student must enrol for two successive semesters and carry a full load of academic credits for each semester (4 courses or more). Scholarships are renewed on a yearly basis and students are expected to maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 4.0 (90% or higher) by the end of each academic year for Excellence Scholarships, and of 3.8 (between 85% and 89%) for Achievement Scholarships. Recipients of Special Needs and Financial Hardship Scholarships must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.3 (76% of higher).
Failure to comply with any of the above could result in the withdrawal of the scholarship.

3.12 All applications are kept for future consideration as new or returning applications.

Criteria

The recipients of all scholarships, except for those left to the discretion of the CEO, shall be selected based on:

(i) specific criteria for each type of scholarship (weighted at 85%), as well as
(ii) additional criteria of outstanding good behaviour and extra curricular achievements (weighted at 15%).

The type specific criteria are as follows:

In case of incoming students, academic records and grades are those submitted for admission to the University.

High school students must have a cumulative grade average of:

Students from post secondary institutions must have a cumulative grade average of:

To be eligible for a scholarship or for a renewal of a scholarship, a returning CUD student must have maintained a cumulative grade average of:

Incoming candidates for Excellence and Achievement scholarships are recommended by the Committee without formal application by the student. However only those students registered for a full load (4 courses or more) by the end of the official registration period will be considered.

Applications should be made no later than one week before the beginning of registration for each semester. A professional diagnosis of disabilities must be supplied at the time of application and shall be kept confidential.

The criteria of outstanding good behaviour and extra curricular achievements apply only to Excellence, Achievement, Special Needs, and Financial Hardship scholarships. They shall take into account: