Social Support Fund

 SOCIAL SUPPORT FUND

The social support fund aims to provide a mechanism to support its students, promoting solidarity and social equity, as well as the reduction of school dropout, contributing to intellectual and educational development of all on equal terms.

ORDER N° 56/R/2012

 Subject: Regulation for Social Support Fund to students of the University of Beira Interior

The University of Beira Interior, aware of the need to create mechanisms of social support to its students in order to promote solidarity and social equity as well as to encourage the reduction of school dropout, contributing to intellectual and education development of all, decided to create a Social Support Fund (FAS) for students of the University of Beira Interior, which will regulate the following articles:

Article 1 - Scope

This regulation lays down the awarding of pecuniary or other support to students enrolled in the University of Beira Interior in courses of 1st and 2nd cycle studies and integrated master’s degrees that they prove they cannot sustain the costs of their university studies, under the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 11 of Decree-Law n° 129/93 of 22 April.

Article 2- Types of Social support

1 - Social support could take, alternatively, one of the following ways:

1. Contribute to the cost of tuition fees for students’ registration;
2. Surpassing the students’ economic and survival deprivation, promoting a minimum of sustainability, in particular accommodation, food and health needs.

2 - The support referred to in the preceding paragraph assumes student cooperation in tasks within any unit or service of the University of Beira Interior, in activities defined according to their skills and availability, analogous to other employees, to the extent of FAS, resulting in support for calculating the hourly rate equivalent to 1% of IAS - Social Support Index.

3 - Upon request of the student, all or part of the FAS could be assigned in meal vouchers or price reduction in accommodation in university residences.

4 - The FAS’ maximum corresponds to the tuition fee defined for the corresponding academic year.

5 - The awarding of the FAS, in any of the cases provided for, does not relieve the student of payment of the registration and of other academic rates in UBI.

6 - Cooperation in the tasks referred to in number one/two of this article, should be compatible with school activities so as not to affect the school success of the student.

Article 3 - Assignment Criteria

1 - The awarding of the Social Support Fund of the students enrolled at the University of Beira Interior depends on the following conditions:

1. the student is enrolled in a minimum of 30 ECTS;
2. the student obtained in the previous year, in terms of approval, at least the following:
3. 50% or more of the ECTS in which he signed up in the previous year, if he has subscribed to 60 ECTS or more;
4. 30 ECTS or more, in case the student has subscribed less than 60 ECTS;

• all course units, if these correspond to less than 30 ECTS.

2 - The awarding of the FAS is subject to the possibility of a student completing his/her study cycle with a total number of registrations not exceeding n + 1, in case of study cycles not exceeding 3 years or n + 2 in cases of study cycles of more than 3 years (n + 1 refers to numbers of years of the course plus one).

3 - In cases of change of course or if the student is holder of the student worker status the number of registrations under the former article shall be increased by one unit.

4 - The student who is enrolled in various study cycles may benefit only once of FAS, considering his first submitted application.

5 - Other cases whose previous conditions present specificities considered exceptional will be reviewed by the Commission referred to in article 9.

Article 4°-Application elements

1 - The annual application process to the Social Support Fund of the University of Beira Interior is instructed through request addressed to the Rector, including the following elements:

1. Identification;
2. Household composition;

• Domicile;

1. School situation;
2. Household economic situation and amounts of movable and affixed assets.

2 - Social action services of UBI, in the analysis of the items referred to above, have the right to request all the evidence they consider necessary and convenient.

3 - The student assumes, under rules of engagement, and is responsible for the veracity of his statements, and shall also inform the SASUBI of any changes to the elements referred to in paragraph 1.

4 - The SASUBI guarantee confidentiality in the treatment of the elements and information provided.

Article 5°- Support value

The "monetary support" to grant will aim to respond to emergency and transitional situations, particularly the payment of school fees, food, accommodation and health, whose individual amount will vary depending on the situation of each student.

Article 6°- Seriation criteria

The Seriation of applicant students to the Social Support Fund will obey to the following criteria:

1. i) Economic failure, based on household average per capita;
2. ii) School performance;

iii) Advanced stage in the academic path to conclude the cycle of studies.

Article 7- Calculation of average per capita

For the purposes of household per capita calculation is done based on the Regulation of granting of scholarships to students in higher education, into force.

Article 8-calculation of the household income

The proven housing and health expenses shall be deducted from the calculation of the monthly income of the household.

Article 9-special situations

1- The analysis and deliberation to the granting of the Social Support Fund for special situations referred to in article 30 and for the omissive cases in this regulation, as well as to the situations of changes in the economic situation of the household during the school year, shall be reviewed by the Commission established in accordance with the following paragraph.

2 - The Commission referred to in the preceding paragraph is made up of the following elements:

1. Rector;
2. Vice-Rector responsible for teaching;
3. Presidents of faculties;
4. University administrator;
5. Social Action Services Administrator;
6. Student Ombudsman/ provider;
7. President of the Academic Association.

3 - The Commission should draw up a reasoned opinion to be submitted to the Rector's approval.

Article 10-Omissions

The cases not embodied in this Regulation shall be determined by order of the Rector of the University of Beira Interior, under proposal from the respective Commission.

Universidade da Beira Interior -  Covilhã, September 3, 2012

The Rector