<p>My son received several private scholarships. Most of the scholarships went directly to his school account, so no problem there. However 3 of his scholarships were awarded as checks made out directly to him. He reported all but one of them to the school (he forgot one and will report it) but he did not forward the money to his school account. He's used about half of what he had in his personal account($4500) toward housing and dining payments. </p>
<p>Should he have deposited the money in his school account rather than his persoanal checking account? If so, should he send the money to the school now? </p>
<p>One of us will call financial aid on Tuesday and try to figure this out, but I want to know what is typical and if they are going to think he is trying to get away with something?</p>
<p>Financial Aid offices know how complicated all of this is (and in my experience, they make mistakes too), so I am sure they will give your S. the benefit of the doubt.</p>
<p>My D got a couple of scholarship checks that were made out to her and her dad deposited them in her bank account not realizing, and her school was OK with it. Their main concern was knowing about the money so they knew how much need-based aid she needed.</p>
<p>Your S’s school may have to adjust his award because of the extra check they were not aware of, but it is not at all unusual to still have adjustments and changes going on after school starts. Colleges like it when kids get outside scholarships instead of depending on the college or parents to do everything, so I am sure they will be supportive.</p>
<p>Congratulations on having such an ambitious and accomplished son.</p>
<p>I don’t think you did anything wrong. If the scholarship money was sent directly to your son, and had no restrictions on their use (ie, must be used for tuition, or books, or to buy a computer), then it seems like your son would be free to use them to pay his college expenses in the way that best works for him. I wouldn’t have him send the money to the school unless a bill is due, at which point he can pay the bill by writing a personal check.</p>
<p>My son won a scholarship and the scholarship committee insisted on sending the money directly to his student account at his college. By the time the money go there, my son had paid all his current bills and had no balance due. The college cut a check in my son’s name and sent the money home! Son had no choice but to deposit it in his checking account, where it was used to pay the next quarter’s bills.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the school. Per D’s school’s policy, we were supposed to send the checks back to Intel and ask them to make them out to the school. But her dad didn’t know that, so when the checks came and she was out of town, he put them in the bank. D’s school told us not to worry about it. I don’t remember if she wrote them a check or if they took the money out of a check they were giving her, but either way they settled up.</p>