Faculty, staff, and student organizations may occasionally wish to provide gift cards to students as incentives for participating in surveys, research studies, or attending campus events. Please be aware that gift cards are considered cash equivalents under IRS regulations and must be properly managed to ensure compliance with both tax reporting requirements and financial aid regulations.

For ALL gift cards, please complete the Gift Card Pre-authorization form and submit it to Student Financial Services before purchase. Once approved, you will receive authorization to proceed with distribution. This process ensures compliance with federal regulations and protects our students' financial aid eligibility. For questions regarding this policy, please contact Student Financial Services.

While gift cards of $25 and under are not reportable to the IRS or to financial aid, we still need to keep track of the total amount of gift cards to each student in case the total exceeds $25 within an academic year.