Procedures for Reimbursement

The College Scholarship Plan is designed to pay for eligible expenses incurred for tuition, textbooks and basic supplies, most fees, and living expenses.

When submitting documentation to the Club for reimbursement be sure to include your current address, telephone number, and email address with all requests. Statements/Receipts for all allowable charges should be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the College Scholarship Plan administrator at the Club which is responsible for paying the player's Plan expenses (generally the organization the player initially signed with). A list of the College Scholarship Plan administrators and their contact information can be found at mlb.com/scholarship. It is always advisable that all statements and receipts are submitted as early as possible. Due to the heavy usage during the fall term, please allow approximately one month for reimbursement.

Please be advised that the player is entitled to reimbursement only for the actual expenses incurred during attendance at school.

For all players who were awarded a College Scholarship Plan on or after January 12, 2005, please note that taxes are required to be withheld from all payments made under the Plan; therefore, you may be responsible for paying the difference between your actual charges and the net amount of your payment.

Proper submission of bills for reimbursement under the Scholarship Plan is as follows:

The following procedures must be followed when submitting statement/receipts. If not submitted properly, the player's claim will not be processed.

Tuition and Fees:

The tuition bill should clearly indicate the name of the school, the semester or quarter to which the billed charges are attributable to, the number of credit hours the player is enrolled in, and a detailed breakdown of the charges for tuition and fees. The player must include an official receipt from the school indicating that the charges have been paid in order to be reimbursed directly. If the player has not provided proof that he has paid the charges, the Club will reimburse the school directly.

If the player is attending school on a full-time basis, he must be enrolled in 12 credit hours at a semester school; 10 credit hours at a quarter school in order to qualify for full-time reimbursement. If the player is attending a school on a part-time basis, (minimum of 6 credit hours at a semester school; 5 credit hours at a quarter school) the payment will be pro-rated accordingly.

Textbooks and Supplies:

In order to be reimbursed for textbooks and/or supplies, the player needs to submit a bill from the bookstore covering the purchase of the items. The player should be sure the receipt itemizes all of the purchases made.

Living Expenses:

Please note that reimbursement for living expenses cannot be requested until the completion of the semester/quarter and that the request must be made within 90 days of the last day of classes. Also note that living expenses are only available for those semesters/quarters attended within 10 years of the date that the player signs his first Minor League Uniform Player Contract.

The player must be living away from home in order to be entitled to money to help with the cost of his living expenses. In order to prove he is living away from home, the player must submit copy of his rental agreement and one month's rent receipt if renting. If the player owns his own home, he should submit a copy of his mortgage statement. The player must also provide proof that he completed the classes in good academic standing by submitting official transcripts for the semester/quarter.

If the player attends a school which has room and board facilities but he decides to reside off campus and not purchase the school's meal plan, he shall be reimbursed to the extent he would have been charged to live and eat on campus. To be reimbursed as such, the player must provide official documentation from the school indicating the room and board rates for the quarter/semester he is attending, along with the proof he is living away from home. If the player attends a school which has no room and board facilities, or he does not submit the room and board rates for the school, the player shall receive a living allowance of $35.00 per day for each day of the school term.

If the player resides on campus, an official copy of the room and board charges incurred must be provided.

Expense items which the Professional Baseball Scholarship Plan will pay are limited to:

The player must be enrolled in a full-time course of study (minimum of ten credit hours in a quarter system; six credit hours if bi-semester or tri-semester system) at an accredited college or university in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Any such part-time enrollment will reduce the semester on a pro-rated basis for each credit hour not taken in a part-time enrollment, based on a twelve-credit semester or ten-credit quarter system.

Expense items which the Professional Baseball Scholarship Plan will not pay include but are not limited to:

1. Transportation to and from college
2. Automobile parking and/or parking tickets
3. Medical insurance or infirmary charges
4. Laundry and cleaning bills
5. Clothing; jewelry; furniture; typewriters; computers (including laptops); calculators; telephones
6. Personal property
7. Fraternity or club initiation fees or dues

When Club is relieved of payment:

Unconditional release of the player or his placement on the Military List shall not relieve the Club of the obligation to make such payment, but the Club shall be relieved of such obligation should the player:

1. Fail to commence studies within two years after the date he ceases to be reserved by a Major League Club or Minor League Club, voluntarily retires or is reserved on an Inactive List, whichever comes first, unless he again becomes reserved to a Major League or Minor League Club (not on an Inactive List) within such two-year period (independent leagues that are not affiliated with Major League Clubs do not count as active service);
2. If, after commencement of studies and after he retires or is released by a Major League or Minor League Club and is not signed again as a player by a Major League or Minor League Club within the two years following his release, fail to attend college within two consecutive years of the participant's most recent college enrollment; or;?
3. Be placed on the Ineligible List.