In a letter to the mayor, they criticized the SHEFA board’s lack of understanding of their situation and failure to acknowledge the former board’s decision to approve their applications.
The scholarship award covered the fall 2010 semester.
“The new SHEFA board fails to understand that we are fully entitled to our reward. We met the requirements for SHEFA and are fully qualified for full reimbursement for fall 2010. Whatever changes the new board is instituting should not have any bearing on the agreement previously made as those changes do not affect the recipients for the fall 2010 award, which includes us,” the students said.
They said it is “completely illogical” for the new board to withhold what they were “rightfully qualified to receive.”
According to SHEFA Administrator Henry Hofschneider, SHEFA rules and regulations provide for “prioritization” of awards for financial assistance based on the college level of a recipient.
“Graduate students are second priority. In addition, SHEFA rules and regulations provide that awards are subject to availability of funds. Students in Cohort 8 were all at the graduate level and thus should be ranked second priority as provided by law,” said Hofschneider in a report to the board.
He disclosed that SHEFA has already doled out more than 50 percent of its annual budget of $3 million for the fall 2010 semester, and the remaining amount is limited to awards for spring 2011 scholars.
Hofschneider said he will ask the Department of Finance if there are any lapsed funds that might be used to cover the financial assistance awards for second, third, and fourth priorities.
The Framingham graduates pointed out that the previous board promised to reimburse their expenses once the awards were available.
They said the previous Framingham graduates received reimbursement for two semesters, except for fall 2010.
