<p>Okay, I won a $1000 scholarship from a local organization and they gave the check to me and I cashed it etc... It has been a month or so since I went to the banquet and I haven't heard from them.</p>
<p>My question is: I have more than a full ride at the school that I want to attend, but I was wondering if it would be okay/ethical to use some of the money to attend a summer historical seminar in Louisiana. I would use 100 for registration and about 300 for the flight (I got a scholarship from the rest). It is a seminar with 30 college students and 10 well known College History Professors. Could I use the money for that or do I need to write the organization and ask or should I just go ahead and do it. If I can't use this money, then I probably am not going to be able to attend the seminar.</p>
<p>Use it. Don't ask the organization. They expect you to use it for college, and if the summer program will be enhance your college experience by providing pre-collegiate seminars, go ahead.</p>
<p>You need to find out the financial aid policy at the school which you have been accepted to and how they view outside scholarships. Some colleges reduce their aid by the amount of the outside scholarship which means your full ride may be reduced by the $1,000. </p>
<p>In addition the organization will eventually want to know what school you are going to attend an will probably contact the school to inform them about the scholarship so that their (the org. granting the scholarship's) books will be straight and they will ge the benefit of writing the expense off on their taxes.</p>
<p>If you are not using the scholarship for its intended use the organization can and will have every right to ask for a refund of the monies. Please remember that your outside scholarship as well as any scholarship monies in excess of tuition and books will be considered taxable income to you and will be reported to the IRS.</p>
<p>My S won a 5k scholarship (bridge design contest) from West Point several years ago. They sent a check. We used it on his first year a state university. The donor, West Point never followed up on how the money was used. </p>
<p>My S did not have any other financial aid so we did not have that to contend with so your situation is a little different.</p>
<p>"Okay, I won a $1000 scholarship from a local organization and they gave the check to me and I cashed it etc... It has been a month or so since I went to the banquet and I haven't heard from them.</p>
<p>My question is: I have more than a full ride at the school that I want to attend, but I was wondering if it would be okay/ethical to use some of the money to attend a summer historical seminar in Louisiana"</p>
<p>IMO it would be fine. I have been involved in giving those kind of scholarship checks. In fact, the organization that I was involved with gave the $ directly to the students so as to keep the students' college scholarships from being reduced. All that my organization asked of the students was to show proof in the fall that they had registered fulltime at a college (since the scholarship required that the students be a fulltime college student).</p>
<p>We would have considered what you were doing to be fine, and there would have been no need to ask our permission. College encompasses more than just tuition, books and fees. If, though, you took the money, decided not to go to college and used the $ to fund a trip to Tahiti, we would have a big problem with that!</p>
<p>I hope that you also sent a thank-you note to the organization. It has been amazing to me how few students bother to do this -- even when they are given huge scholarships. You also should send a thank-you to the college that has been so generous with you. You can send the thank-you to the head of financial aid for the college or to the college president. You can send the outside scholarship thank-you to the head of the organization. If you don't know the person's name, just call the organization and find out.</p>
<p>I did send a thank you note immediately after I received the award to the head of the committee that awarded me the scholarship and also to the organization as a whole.</p>
<p>They did the same thing for me as your organization did. They gave me a check as to not reduce my scholarships at the institution. </p>
<p>I also sent a thank you not to USC Honors who has been very generous with my aid. I am not even sure if this organization will follow up, but I will probably send them verification on my enrollment regardless.</p>
<p>So you don't think it is necessary to contact them to ask? I mean the sponsor of this program is a professor from Emory and a professor from USC Honors (South Carolina) which I will be attending, so it will definately be helpful in my college career.</p>
<p>I am very impressed by your thoughtfulness and ethics. I bet that is a big reason why you got the scholarship. Your character probably came out in your interview and references.</p>
<p>No, I don't think you need to ask them if it's OK to use the $ on a summer historical seminar. As long as you plan to go to college, and really do enroll in college, the organization won't care what you do with the money. It's to help you in college which could mean helping you buy furnishings for your dorm room, clothes for college, or attending seminars related to your academics.</p>
<p>The only reason that I think that you should contact the college about the $ would be if something prevents your going to college next school year as you had planned. Then, I think you should contact them, explain what happened and ask if they want the $ back.</p>
<p>I did call the University of South Carolina FA Office to ask how outside scholarships are dealt with and they said if the check was written to me, then it was out of their hands. I will make sure to report it for my taxes though.</p>
<p>I think that I will go ahead and use the money for the seminar, because honestly, I don't think they will ask for verification of how every dollar is spent because honestly that would be too much trouble on their behalf. I will go ahead and send them a copy of my acceptance and deposit to USC just so they know that I will be attending.</p>
<p>Don't most colleges ask the student to report any outside scholarships given? I know my older son's college did. I ask because my younger will most likely be receiving a $500 local scholarship (We have been told it is likely.). My older son received this one, too, and it was given to him as a check. However, he did report it to his college. Is this not necessary?</p>
<p>Most colleges do ask for this, but it all depends. The college I will be attending USC Honors (S. Carolina) doesn't care to know as long as the check goes to me. He said if the check was to me, then it was outside their realm.</p>