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Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines

Effective Date: July 10, 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to establish a guideline for the Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP.) of the Blacksmith Association of Missouri
(B.A.M.).

Scope:

This procedure is to be followed by all members and T.A.P. committee for
the process of applying and reviewing applications for this program.

1: The T.A.P is for non-B.A.M. classes.

2: The applicant must be a B.A.M. member in good standing for two years
prior to applying.

3: The Program is to be capped at a maximum of $1,000 dollars per
application.

4: The program is to provide assistance for tuition and travel expense (e.g.
gas, lodging, and materials).

5: Once assistance is granted, there is a waiting period of two years before
the applicant can be eligible for another T.A.P.

6: Maximum of two T.A.P. applications per year provided funds are
available from the B.A.M. treasury.

7: It is the treasurer’s responsibility to determine if B.A.M. is in a financial
position to provide T.A.P.

8: If T.A.P. funds are not awarded in the calendar year they are “lost”, there
is no accumulation of T.A.P. available from year-to-year.

9: If the treasurer determines that B.A.M.’s finances would be detrimentally
affected by issuing T.A.P. then no funds would be available for that year.

10: T.A.P. is to provide assistance to attend hands-on classes at an
established teaching facility, or one-on-one instruction at another smith’s
shop.

11: T.A.P. approval is up to the discretion of the T.A.P. committee.

12: The T.A.P. committee has the power to revise this guideline at any time
and submit to B.A.M. officers for approval.

13: The T.A.P. guideline shall be reviewed every five years and reapproved
by the B.A.M. officers.

14: B.A.M. members using T.A.P. funding are required to submit an article
about the education experience attended with appropriate notes and
diagrams of the items made or techniques learned in the class to the
Tuition Assistance Committee to be reviewed and published in the B.A.M.
newsletter no later than 3 months after attending the class.

15: B.A.M. members using T.A.P. funding will present a demonstration of
the newly learned skills at a B.A.M. meeting or complete a video to be
placed in the B.A.M. library within 1 year of the class.

16: One third of the total assistance amount will be awarded before the
class, one third on submission of the article to the Tuition Assistance Committee,
and one third after presenting the demonstration or video at a B.A.M.
event.

17: TAP committee members are not eligible for the assistance from the
program.