Scholarship issue - need your input

[Jorje286]

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Last year, I got admitted to med school, and I was admitted with a significant scholarship. The scholarship notification came through email, but it wasn't followed by anything official i.e a signed letter. The email also didn't cite any requirements or limitations. I accepted the offer, and my intuition was that the scholarship would still apply as long as I don't screw up badly (i.e failing or maybe just passing most of my classes), which I believe is a reasonable assumption.

So my first year went through, and even though I didn't do as well as I should, I ended up doing pretty good. My ranking is #20 out of 89 students, and I honored 3 classes (Neuro, Biophys and cardio). And yesterday I heard the shocking news that my scholarship was dropped because I wasn't in the top 15%. I petitioned that decision and I'm waiting for the results, but I'm not holding my breath. The administrator even admitted that their record shows that I wasn't sent an email naming any condition.

Don't you think the school seriously f*cked up and was extremely unprofessional in handling this? Shouldn't I have been told from the start about conditions? Actually, I kept asking them how my scholarship will be dealt with this last year and they were always ambiguous - not once saying what conditions they want to use. And the sad part is: despite my good performance I may be forced to drop, cause I don't have the money to pay the rest of the tuition as the loan they give doesn't cover enough. The sadder part is that I was accepted to a better school last year, that even though they didn't give me a scholarship, they offered me a full loan with no interest and no limit on the paying duration.

I'm kinda distraught now, and even though I think I bear a little bit of the responsibility (I should have told them to clarifiy and send an official letter before accepting their offer), I believe I have been majorly screwed by a very unprofessional (and maybe unethical) university team.

 

[Deceptacon]

seems a little odd that you didn't pursue conditions earlier. if it were me, i'd have checked with them after every test to make sure i was good. to each their own, i guess.

 

[Jorje286]

seems a little odd that you didn't pursue conditions earlier. if it were me, i'd have checked with them after every test to make sure i was good. to each their own, i guess.

My adviser told me I should be fine because I honored classes. I'm not sure I would have gotten much by constantly following up during the class year, but I agree I might have been in better position, though I really don't think it would've made a big difference.

I also want to ask if it's a common think to place such restrictive conditions on a scholarship? I never heard of having to be on the Dean's honor list to keep your scholarship.

 

[DrBowtie]

Restrictions are common, however they should be clearly and explicitly stated prior to accepting the award.

Also, how do the loans offered not cover your tuition? You should be able to borrow up to the COA.

 

[Jorje286]

Also, how do the loans offered not cover your tuition? You should be able to borrow up to the COA.

This is not a US med school. This would never have happened in a US med school. Who sends scholarships through email and doesn't bother to send a signed letter? Having said that, this is actually quite a prestigious med school with lots of alumni in the US.

I'm crossing my fingers the decision will be overturned cause maybe they didn't know what they were doing. I mean, the administrator said straight to my face that they started to give those scholarships only last year to attract good students from outside their undergraduate classes. I had to withhold myself from telling him "yeah, attract them and then screw them up".

 

[Lbgem]

This is not a US med school. This would never have happened in a US med school. Who sends scholarships through email and doesn't bother to send a signed letter? Having said that, this is actually quite a prestigious med school with lots of alumni in the US.

I'm crossing my fingers the decision will be overturned cause maybe they didn't know what they were doing. I mean, the administrator said straight to my face that they started to give those scholarships only last year to attract good students from outside their undergraduate classes. I had to withhold myself from telling him "yeah, attract them and then screw them up".

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/business/law-school-grants.html?pagewanted=all

This happens at US schools too. The point is to attract better students without the cost.

 

[SirGecko]

Law schools do it but they tell you ahead of time that you have to be in the top __% of the class to keep the scholarship. Students just all delude themselves into thinking that they will be the one that keeps the scholarship. Some lower tier schools will offer like half their matriculating class this kind of scholarship. (so naturally a lot lose the scholarship after one year) The higher tier law schools don't really do it as much, they do more financial aide offerings. (so stay in good standing and you don't lose the money) If they really never told you that the scholarship was only if you stayed in the top part of the class then you really got screwed. Sorry dude. (I am willing to bet the information was available if you dug enough though)

Actually I don't know of any US med schools that do this same scholarship gambit. To me it sounds like you should have got more information about the scholarship at the start. Of course part of the problem with this sort of scholarship is that the naive students being given the scholarship don't know what to look out for and the school certainly isn't going to go out of their way to wisen them up.

Realistically I wouldn't expect the scholarship money. You weren't in the top 15% and if that is their cutoff I would be willing to bet they stick with it. You are correct that the purpose of this sort of scholarship is to get you to the school. Once you are there they really don't care. I am willing to bet you are not the only person to have received the scholarship and that there are others who didn't make the cutoff as well.

 

[Jorje286]

If they really never told you that the scholarship was only if you stayed in the top part of the class then you really got screwed. Sorry dude. (I am willing to bet the information was available if you dug enough though)

The only thing I could've done is pick up the phone and query them before accepting the offer. However, I'm positive that they wouldn't have told me about any conditions. If they couldn't tell me after I joined, and waited for last week to tell me despite asking a few times, why tell me before I sign up? What I really regret is not seeing something fishy in not sending an officially signed letter, and not picking the school that went along its business in a far more professional way.

We will see how they respond to my petition. The administrator was sympathetic but it could all be just a show. Maybe they really didn't give this thing a lot of thought given that last year was the first time they gave scholarships.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/bu...pagewanted=all

This happens at US schools too. The point is to attract better students without the cost.

Yes, but even in those schools the conditions are outlined before applicants accept the offer.