Academic & Cultural Sharing Scholarship
What is the Academic & Cultural Sharing Scholarship?
- The Academic and Cultural Sharing Scholarship (ACSS) offers the resident tuition rate to international students who meet and maintain the requirements for eligibility.
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The goal of the ACSS is to promote interaction and cross-cultural understanding between international students and members of SCSU and St. Cloud communities.
Who is eligible?
- Students maintaining F-1 or J-1 visa status.
- Some students who are in programs with special tuition fees, such as the MBA program, are only eligible to receive the ACSS for courses paid at the regular university rates outside of their special programs. Students are only eligible if they met both requirements in the previous semester.
- Online courses or hybrid courses (in-class/online) may not be eligible for the ACSS.
- Doctoral programs are not eligible for ACSS. Check with the School of Graduate Studies for tuition and fee rates.
Acceptable Activities (Cultural Activities Form)
- CIS event request
- Cultural Cafe
- Cultural Night
- Cultural Presentation to Classroom/Community Group
- Department of Campus Involvement (UPB, Civic Engagement, Campus Programs, Spirit Groups)
- Earth Day Run Volunteers
- GA/TA (Awarded through Grad Studies)
- Global Social Responsibility Conference (board members/event volunteers)
- Husky Hauler (all student move-in day)
- International Cuisine in Atwood
- International Education Week Event Volunteer
- International Friendship Program (through CIS)
- KIDSTOP
- Language Tutoring (Through Foreign Languages or Student Organizations)
- Lemonade Concert and Art Fair
- Lindgren Child Care Center Volunteer
- Mainstreet/Sidestreet
- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk/SCSU Homecoming 5K race
- Math Contest Proctor at SCSU
- New Year's Eve Family Fun Fest at SCSU
- On-campus employment
- Passport to the World
- Power in Diversity Leadership Conference
- Research/Interview Participant at SCSU (pre-approved by CIS)
- Residence Hall events volunteer
- Science Fair Judges - Grether Central MN
- SCSU Band, Choir or Orchestra member
- Student Organization Position - Appointed or Elected
- Thanksgiving Day Program (through CIS)
- University-wide committee member
- UPB event volunteer
What are the requirements?
- Check-in with the Center for International Studies upon arrival into the U.S.
- Maintain a 2.5 Cumulative GPA as an undergraduate student or a 3.0 Cumulative GPA as a graduate student.
- Complete two (2) cultural sharing activities every semester and submit the online Cultural Activities Form by May 1 (to be eligible for the summer and fall scholarship) and December 15 (to be eligible for the spring scholarship).
- Maintain active F-1/J-1 status. Students with a pending reinstatement or change of status application to F-1/J-1 status are not eligible for the ACSS until the application has been adjudicated by USCIS.
Who is exempt from doing service hours for eligibility?
- Graduate students with Graduate/Teaching Assistantships awarded for the next semester. Students whose GA/TA is not guaranteed in the next semester are advised to complete two cultural activities.
- International students approved for CPT are not required to do the activities for that semester.
- International students on athletic scholarships
- International students participating in a fall or spring semester-long Education Abroad program.
- Exchange students who are on a tuition reciprocity agreement with their home institution
Summer Sessions ACSS Policy
- Cultural activities submitted at the end of the spring semester are used for both the following summer and fall semesters.
- Students who do cultural activities during the summer can apply them toward the fall semester cultural activity requirement due on December 15 of the same year.
How do I apply?
- There is no need to apply for this scholarship. The only requirement for new students is that you check-in with the Center for International Studies upon arrival into the U.S.
How do I appeal if I lose the scholarship?
- Students who lose the scholarship for CGPA may file for an appeal one time. The ACSS Appeal Form is available online and must be submitted by June 1 for Summer and Fall semesters, or the first day of classes for the Fall or Spring semester.
- The Center for International Studies will monitor your completion of cultural sharing activities. If there is any falsification of information provided on behalf of the student, there will be no option to appeal the loss of your scholarship and the student will be referred to Student Life and Development as this is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
Verification of Activities
- If you are supervising an event that qualifies for the ACSS, you will be asked to verify students’ participation. The Verification of Cultural Activities page offers suggestions and guidelines to promote a simplified and fair process.
