[Rotary] Fwd: Fw: URGENT!! Unfortunate Scholarship Situation...

[Cornelia]

I don't know the best way to solve this, but it is a problem for many. My granddaughter has had the same surprise experience that one scholarship based on performance caused another based on need to be cancelled. 
Cornelia

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 19, 2014, at 7:36 AM, Donna Schuler <schuler.donna at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Fellow Rotarians,
> Below is a letter from Ali Morse, our top scholarship recipient from this years Mendocino Graduating class. She describes a situation below that has been described to us by other scholarship recipients. This is a time sensitive matter for Ali, she may be returning the scholarship funds unless we can figure out a way to give awards with out having it interfere with the student's financial aid from the college. If we went with one of Ali's suggestions, for example, option one, Kathleen would need to request the money back from the school, and then write a check later in the year. Please respond with any suggestions you may have.
> Thank you,
> Donna 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: <nosila14 at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 7:07 PM
> Subject: Fw: URGENT!! Unfortunate Scholarship Situation...
> To: "schuler.donna at gmail.com" <schuler.donna at gmail.com>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Donna and Rotary,
> I am writing you today because there has recently been a change in my financial aid… I really appreciate the money that you guys have given me as a scholarship, and it would help a lot… IF the University wasn’t just absorbing it. Originally my family and I thought that at UC Davis, I would be receiving $12,124 from the school in grants to help pay my tuition. I had hoped to pay for most of my schooling with scholarships, and this grant. Unfortunately, things changed. A few days ago we found out that the $12,124 in financial need that our family had, was actually taken away when I received my scholarships. (I also found out I only received $90 from filling out my FAFSA)
> After working countless hours on scholarships and working my butt off in school, I was completely thrilled to receive $13,000 in local scholarships for this upcoming year! This was up until a few days ago when I was notified that because I had $13000 in scholarships, the school was no longer willing to give me any money in grants.
> My options are pretty upsetting right now. I can either take the scholarship money that you two and a few other organizations have given me (totaling $13000), and pay taxes on it, or return your money and let the school grants pay for it and receive $12,124 for the year.
> This absolutely crushed me to hear, because this might mean the end of UC Davis for me and it may also mean that I will have an even harder time getting into the Veterinarian program later (since the majority of people accepted into the UC Davis Vet program did all of their undergrad at UC Davis). While I was trying to think of ways around the problem there were only a couple of ways I could think of where I could actually receive some, if not all the financial aid I was originally promised.
> Grants are only reviewed once a year. Is there any way you would consider requesting your money back from the school and sending it again for my 3rd quarter? I can send progress reports during school as well as the date to send the money in for the 3rd quarter.
> The school doesn’t know about any scholarships that are sent directly to me. So if the money was sent directly to me, I could get both the grants and the scholarship money. I know it is against many people’s and organizations rules, but it is the only way for me to receive the scholarship money without Davis absorbing all of it. The reason you guys give scholarships is to help the student, not the school. If this could happen, I could send progress reports and show you exactly where the money was going. I promise I’m not going to buy a new car or go on vacation with it. I REALLY want to be a vet.
> The last option I thought of was if maybe you could hold onto the money until I got into vet school (after 3 or 4 years of under grad). After my first four years, my tuition will raise to $50,000 for the first 3 years of vet school then $60,000 for the final year (not including a specialization which is another 2 years). At this point I will need the money even worse if I am going to make it through vet school.
> Once again I thank you so much for your scholarship and I wish there was some way to make this work… If you have any ideas or are willing to do any of these things for me, It would mean the world to me! I can send progress reports, school bills, ect.  What ever you need to make this work, I am willing to do! Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon!
> 
> If you would like to do any of these options or a different one, you can get your money back from the scholarship office by calling
> Undergraduate and Prestigious Scholarships
> Telephone: 530-752-0520 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-F)
> and my student ID is: 999721801
> 
> We now have been told this with only 1 week before school starts, so I have to figure this out as quick as possible. Thanks so much!
> -Alison Morse
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Donna Schuler
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> Rotary at lists.mcn.org
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