The Scholarship/Fellowship functionality in Financial Resource Management System (FRMS) is a web-based system used to process cash prizes and departmental scholarships and fellowships. The main website is:
https://utdirect.utexas.edu/frms/scholarship/index.WBX
For instructional videos on FRMS, please visit
http://www.utexas.edu/business/erp/frms/training.php
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How to complete successful SS1/SSA documents in FRMS
Scholarship Description (visible to public)
The description should include name of student (awardee) and title of scholarship, so that documents can be easily identified in your inbox. If you are using a chair or lectureship account, the appropriate approvals should be indicated in Scholarship Comments. Avoid redunduncies as much as possible; an SS1 document is a scholarship document so you can omit that information in the description. Do not include internal information, such as approvals, in the description.
Sample descriptions (summaries):
Accounts
If the account you are using is an endowment (30 account) the Endowment Details will link you to the donor criteria. This is new to FRMS. Please make sure that the recipient fulfills all the requirements in the donor criteria, especially concerning financial need. Please be mindful that if you approve the document, you are certifying that the recipient meets the donor criteria listed for the account. If there is a problem, it will be returned to you.
Purpose of Payment
Purpose of payment must agree with donor criteria. If it requires the recipient to have financial need, make sure this is indicated. The CoLA online scholarship application system has a need index to assist you in determining need. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, so the answer to that question is usually yes.
Registration Requirements
In general, all students receiving a scholarship must be registered. There could be exceptions, and if that is the case, an explanation should be added in the comment section.
If you are paying a scholarship with a state account (14- or 20-), the student must be registered. If you answer NO to the registration question, a comment giving the reason must be entered.
If the scholarship you are awarding has a stipulation that the student must be registered full-time, you must indicate it. This is the case for Endowed Presidential Scholarships/Fellowships and all Dean’s Office scholarships. Any exceptions should be explained in comments.
Lump sum payments: Do not answer “No” to the question “Must the recipient be registered for the first payment?" if there is only one payment. If you do, it’s the same as if you answered “No registration required”. You may split the payment and answer “No”, student does not have to be registered for first payment.
Scholarship Comment
Most scholarships should be awarded to LIBERAL ARTS students, unless it is a university-wide award that resides in Liberal Arts. In those cases where an exception is made, a note to that effect will be helpful to other approvers.
If the student is going to be studying abroad, a comment indicating destination and program can be added.
Sample comments:
Difference between Document notes and Scholarship comments
Similarities between notes and comments
General Notes:
Check your document before approving it!
How It Works | Links | Contact | Tips
How It Works | Links | Contact | Tips
How It Works | Links | Contact | Tips
Q: What is the difference between travel and study abroad, for FRMS purposes?
A: Travel requires a destination and a purpose, i.e. to present a paper at a conference. Study abroad does not require a destination, but questions regarding type of enrollment must be answered. Although the destination is not required, it is suggested that the destination be noted in Scholarship Comments (at the bottom of the document).
Q: If the account used is an Endowed Chair, Professorship or Lectureship, what do I need to indicate in Comments?
A: A Comment indicating the approval of the Chair or Professorship holder has been secured should be added. The Chair holder may or may not be the same as the Chair of the Department. Do not put the statement in Notes, because notes are not stored with the document.
Q: What is a Post-Doctoral Fellowship?
A: A post-doctoral fellowship is given to someone who has already completed work and received their PhD – but who is continuing to receive a fellowship beyond that degree.
See Glossary: http://www.utexas.edu/business/erp/frms/help/glossary.php
Q: What is a cash prize?
A: A prize given to winners of a competition open to the public. If the prize is restricted to students enrolled at UT, then it is not a cash prize.
See Glossary: http://www.utexas.edu/business/erp/frms/help/glossary.php
Q: How can I tell if a scholarship has paid?
A: If the payment date has passed, look at the document and in the payment schedule section there will be a link to payment details.
Q: How can I put a scholarship on hold?
A: In the payment schedule section, the status column has a drop-down menu, where you will indicate “held”. The default is “not held”. You may change the payment status by direct update without having to create and route a Modify Document.
Q: What other kinds of hold are there?
A: The Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) can put a hold on any scholarship, and only they can release it. A box indicating OSFS hold will be prominent within the document.
Q: What fields can be directly updated without needing to create and route a Modify Document?
A: Direct updates may be done on
Q: What is the procedure for awarding a student a scholarship that involves travel to a restricted area?
A: All student travel to restricted regions will require approval at all levels: departmental, Dean's Office, and International Oversight Committee (IOC). The new student travel request form can be found on the IOC website
http://www.utexas.edu/international/ioc/travel_policy.html
Q: How do I indicate the semester in which a student will be studying abroad, if different from the payment date?
A: Under payment schedule, indicate the Financial Aid Semester in which the student will be studying abroad. For example, a student is awarded a scholarship in the spring semester, but it is for a summer program. You can pay in the spring, as long as you indicate summer in the Financial Aid Semester.
