Where exactly does scholarship $$$ go?

<p>In general, when you win a merit-based scholarship, how exactly do you get that $? By this, I mean does it get transferred directly to your college? Or do you yourself get a personal check? Also, in the first scenario, If you already have full tuition payed (ex:from the school’s financial aid office), can you use this 3rd party scholarship for a computer, textbooks, the living expenses (food/travel/room) that the college usually estimates on their total expenses? And if so, how? Do you just ask the school to reimburse you? </p>

<p>P.S. I have come to see trends that people in the UPENN threads are much more helpful and responsive that the general ones. Thanks. You guys rock! I can’t wait to join you! : )</p>

<p>Ok, the disbursement of scholarship money depends on the scholarship provider. It's really up to them and they usually give scholarship money directly to the financial aid office. I'm not sure if they Penn's student financial aid services (SFS) would reimburse you, if you received scholarship money and full tuition paid. I doubt it, but it's worth looking in to.</p>

<p>The way Penn SFS deals with scholarship money is that it deducts the scholarship money you receive from your personal contribution first (i.e. student contribution, Work study, Federal Student Loans, etc.). The thing that I don't like about Penn SFS is that after all the student contribution is deducted by scholarship money, it deducts the free grant/scholarship money it gives you. And, ONLY after all the grant/scholarship money is deducted, it starts to deduct from your parent contribution.</p>

<p>Right now, I'm in the process of negotiating my financial aid package. It's decent, but I know we could get more money with my family's situation.</p>

<p>I hope this post helped.</p>

<p>Thanks for your post, it does help. When SFS calculates your aid package, does it consider their complete estimated price (ex: living expenses/textbooks), not just the tuition? The reason I ask this is b/c I am sure I can obtain aid, giving my family's financial circumstances, but I don't want to be left with thousands of dollars to pay for textbooks, computer, living expenses, etc. (money which I don't have) .</p>

<p>The expenses take into account: room/food expenses, textbooks, it alotts around $1500 for personal expenses, it also adds in travel expenses. I don't believe that they add the expenses for a personal computer. However, if you get accepted, you will get discounts on the computers that Penn sells. Everything you listed above, except for the computer, is covered in the aid package. If your accepted, I wish you all the luck with your aid. Feel free to ask more questions.</p>

<p>Lucky, you're the best. Sorry to keep bothering you, but I just have one more question. If they do cover expenses like textbooks, room, and food, how do you get the money? Do they just wire the amount to your account, free to use to buy food and texbooks? Or do you have to buy the stuff first and show proof to get reimbursed?</p>

<p>I have yet to see how the whole financial aid situation will work out, however I know for the food, you sign up for a meal plan. The meal plan is paid through your financial aid. You pick a plan, based on your preference, and you're allotted a certain number of meals/bucks per semester. I'm not sure how paying for books goes, but I would imagine that SFS gives you an id and when you buy your books you just scan your id which will automatically deduct from your financial aid.</p>