The Division I Student-Athlete Awards, Benefits, Expenses and Financial Aid Cabinet recently created a best-practices document designed to help schools structure the way they handle financial aid renewals, nonrenewals and the hearing process afforded to student-athletes when aid is not renewed.

The cabinet identified the hearing process as one of its priorities after the 2009 reorganization of the Division I governance structure.

Much of the hearing process is left to individual institutions. The NCAA requires only that decisions regarding the renewal of athletically related aid be made on or before July 1 and that student-athletes whose aid packages are not renewed must be notified in writing and given the opportunity for an appeal hearing.

In the best-practices document, the cabinet set forth some suggestions for athletics and university staff members who should be involved in the hearing process, what should be documented in writing throughout the process and how communication should take place.

Other areas in which the cabinet offers suggestions include education efforts for various people involved in the process of renewing or not renewing aid, how to notify student-athletes of decisions related to his or her financial aid, forms that can be created and used throughout the process, hearing format and logistics, and what to do after the hearing has taken place.

The cabinet incorporated ideas suggested by the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee into its suggestions. One of the best practices outlined in the document encourages institutions to be candid with student-athletes about the status of their athletics aid as early as possible. The cabinet suggests that the final communication of aid cancellation should not be the first time the student-athlete hears that the award is in jeopardy. The SAAC requested last year that student-athletes be informed as early as possible.

The document will appear on the cabinet’s page on www.ncaa.org. Revisions and updates are expected as the cabinet continues to study the entire financial aid model over the next several months.