I get an award that includes a check made out to me, a cash sum that is intended to be used by me however I see fit (per their own rep and letter etc specifically stating it is not necessarily a scholarship that needs to be used for tuition).
Now, the last scholarship I received earlier this year I did submit to the school because it was designated for that. The school then used the funds and retroactively applied it to this and last semester's tuition. Fine, I guess, but I ended up only getting about half of the money because the other half pushed me over the amount they calculate for cost of attendance and so they just applied it to my loans. Again, fine, not a huge deal.
This time though, I want this money. I already earmarked it for moving expenses for my summer internship thingy, which falls perfectly in line with what the award is for (ASLAP award, using money to help fund an ASLAP fellowship, = makes perfect sense).
Unfortunately, they mailed the check and award to the DVM who nominated me, who then forwarded it to the school because she didn't have my address. So the school has it, and wants me to come in and sign the back so they can submit it to the office of student finance. I explain that I want to just keep it, because its for me, and THEY WON'T LET ME. They essentially just decided that it's a scholarship, even though I showed them the email and the letter stating that it specifically ISN'T.
After hours of emailing back and forth and actually going in to talk to the woman who has it, I give up. The best I could do was ensure they apply it to next semester's tuition so hopefully I'll actually get that money back eventually.
BLARG.