UNK Student Talent Development Program

Purpose:
A portion of the Student Event Ticket (SET) fee is devoted to "developing and show casing conspicuous student talent." The financial support enables UNK to explore additional opportunities in programs that develop student leadership skills or that provide venues for students to display intellectual talent and other exceptional accomplishment.

Students are encouraged to apply for these funds. Support for faculty or staff cannot be provided with these funds. Highly meritorious proposals directly impacting student talent development will be approved each year. The Chancellor of the university has final approval authority for use of the funds.

Application Process:
Applications should be directed to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs office located in Room 1003, Warner Hall. Completed applications must include the standard form Student Talent Application; however additional documentation that can assist the selection committee in its deliberation is encouraged. If an advisor or faculty member is applying on behalf of a group of students, one application form may be filled out with an accompanying list of the student names. If payment will go directly to the student rather than to a department to reimburse for expenses of a trip, permanent addresses (as listed on MyBLUE), local address for mailing purposes, and student ID numbers are also required. Applications require the approval of the department chair and dean of the college. Copies should be kept at the department level for assistance to students in the reimbursement process.

A selection committee comprised of the vice chancellors and the Dean for Student Affairs will review applications. There is no deadline to apply for the funds; review will continue monthly throughout the year. Once a decision has been made to fund a request or not, notification will be sent to the student, advisor and department secretary, along with instructions for reimbursement. It should be noted that in order to ensure that a wide variety of students have access to these funds, if a student applies for more than one trip or event during the academic year, allocations for the second or third events will be significantly less proportionately than the first allocation.

The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs will notify applicants of awards by letter to local address listed on application.

Direct questions regarding the application process to Tami Plugge at 8885 or pluggetl@unk.edu.

PLEASE NOTE the 30-day time period required for processing applications on the application form.

Reimbursement Process:
Classification of Recipient--Regardless of whether a student is employed by the University of Nebraska at Kearney or not, any person awarded a grant from the Student Talent Fund will be considered a student rather than an employee for purposes of reimbursement.

Following notification of award, student should work with the organization advisor or secretary of the department from which the request originated for assistance with registrations, pre-payments, travel arrangements and reimbursements.

  • It may not be necessary for students to provide receipts for expenses incurred. Student may be paid directly in the amount of the award, minus any payment made by the university on student's behalf. Authorization for payment will be the award letter provided by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Please note that payment made directly to a student is subject to income tax under IRS regulations. If a student wishes to avoid income tax provisions, they need to provide receipts for expenses. Because of the IRS regulation, a permanent address is required. If the student does not wish the reimbursement to go to their permanent address (as listed on MyBLUE), request that the check be returned to the University to your local department or to the student's local address. In either case, the permanent address is required.

Individual students should take their award letter to their Advisor or department secretary, who will verify that the student attended or will attend the conference and authorize the payment by indicating such on the original award letter with a signature. The department secretary will then forward the letter to the Vice Chancellor for Business & Finance office for assignment of a Cost Center number and entry into SAP system.

  • The university may make prepayments for items such as airline travel and registration, as long as full payment can be made through the awarded funds. Split payments to airline vendors are not allowed. If payment is to be made by the University, an original vendor invoice must be attached to the original award letter documenting the amount to be paid on the student's behalf. Invoice with accompanying award letter should then be sent to the VCBF office for account coding and entry into SAP. If a department incurred expenses for the student and is to be reimbursed by the student through their award, a simple transfer of the expense may be made by completing the GL Account Posting Form and sending to the VCBF office, along with a copy of the award letter. In this case, if the student is not receiving a check from UNK, addresses are not required.
  • If a department has made a request for a group of students, the advisor, faculty member or department secretary must verify that the list of students submitted on the application is still accurate and that everyone on the list should receive reimbursement. Changes may be submitted as necessary. If the university is paying for expenses through various accounts, and payment does not go directly to the student, addresses are not needed. If, however, payment in full or in part, will go directly to the student, then permanent and local addresses as well as the NUID numbers are required. Please indicate if check should be mailed to permanent address, local address of student, or returned to department for distribution.
Direct questions regarding the reimbursement process to Fauneil Meier at 8205 or meierf@unk.edu.


Please print the form and return to:

Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Warner Hall, Room 1003
Kearney, NE 68849

View and print the Student Talent Application (PDF)