Scholarship Question

MomofFutureLeader

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DS has been awarded a number of scholarships that he plans to have sent to USAFA. We anticipate that most of them will arrive at our home payable to DS and US Air Force Academy. I have seen the instruction from USAFA that the checks should be payable to the cadet if possible, otherwise to "US Treasury". I sent an e-mail to usafa.fm@us.af.mil, which is the e-mail address that cadets and parents are instructed to contact if they have questions regarding scholarships, and have not received any response other than the automated one that says that they try to respond within one business day. That was five days ago. Does anyone on this forum have experience with scholarship checks sent to USAFA and do you know if it will create problems if the checks are sent to the Academy payable to cadet and US Air Force Academy, rather than US Treasury?
 
It should not cause a problem. Our son had a scholarship from one of the companies that I work for and the check came each semester made out to him and USAFA (no matter how many times I asked them to change it :redface: ). He just took the check to the registrars office and it was credited to his account there. He did not get the money as such, but it went toward his initial loan balance, so that balance got paid off more quickly and his paychecks went to full-size earlier than it would have otherwise.

I would say to make sure and read the fine print in the scholarship's rules. Son had many scholarships and there was only that one that did not specify that it couldn't be used if the student attended a service academy.

Stealth_81
 
Yes, we have checked that very carefully, as well as for any kind of restrictive language. One is renewable for a second year if he maintains at least a 3.0 gpa. The rest are one time deals and have no restriction whatsoever, other than that he attend an accredited university. One is from my work and the rest are from Dollars for Scholars, local church, and other outside organizations. None make any mention of not being able to use at a service academy. So, I think all will be fine as long as the USAFA is okay, as opposed to US Treasury. Thanks,
 
I've had applicants/cadets where they had scholarships that said it was specifically for tuition. I believe you still can't use those at the academy either. That's totally federally funded. Same with room and board. If they specifically say that, then you probably can't use them. But the ones that you can use, stealth answered perfectly.
 
Ditto what stealth said. My son had 2 scholarship checks, both payable to the AFA and it was no problem. Because the first one came in the mail to our home after he had reported to BCT, I called Cadet Pay (number was listed in his Instructions to Appointees booklet--I had copied a few pages before he left, taking it with him). The woman that answered was very nice, explained that it was no problem to be made out to the AFA, explained how it would show up on his pay statement, and told me where to mail it. Like stealth said, they apply it to the loans the basics get (for computer, uniforms, software, etc) that are deducted from their earnings each month so my son's net pay has been bigger each month than a cadet who did not receive any scholarships. He's got a decent bank balance now!
 
I read up on the restrictions piece and fortunately, all of DS scholarship materials are worded along the lines of "to be used for education related expenses". None of them specifically states "tuition" or "room and board". Of course we have not received the actual checks yet, but he should be okay with school or college related expenses since he will have books, computer, fees, etc. It would be nice if he had checks in hand currently and could take them with him. I don't think that most of them will arrive until August though so we will have to mail them in after they arrive.
 
The scholarship check should be made out to US Treasury and should say it is for CXC John Doe. The check should be mailed to Cadet Pay. I have the exact address and phone number if you want to privately contact me. They will deposit the check amount into your child's monthly pay.
 
Almost like the case with puff diddy's son. with their wealth they still feel that he should keep the scholarship and not just let somebody else who needs it have it instead.
full tuition paid + allowance. how could you not just try to be unselfish and let someone else who really needs it have the miscellaneous scholarship that you can't use at the academy anyway? just wondering?
 
Almost like the case with puff diddy's son. with their wealth they still feel that he should keep the scholarship and not just let somebody else who needs it have it instead.
full tuition paid + allowance. how could you not just try to be unselfish and let someone else who really needs it have the miscellaneous scholarship that you can't use at the academy anyway? just wondering?

Wow. They earned a scholarship and you suggest they turn it down because they have a full ride w/stipend at USAFA. The cadets still pay for their books and uniforms although they earn a stipend as well. It seems to me that a scholarship earned on merit is still a scholarship earned. The OP is entitled to use the scholalship as they see fit. Paying off loans, buying uniforms and books is a valid use of scholarship money. The cadets get the stipend for the training they do beyond the traditional college experience. It is money they earn. It is not being selfish to accept an award and applying towards educational expenses. Perhaps the OP really needs it.
 
Almost like the case with puff diddy's son. with their wealth they still feel that he should keep the scholarship and not just let somebody else who needs it have it instead.
full tuition paid + allowance. how could you not just try to be unselfish and let someone else who really needs it have the miscellaneous scholarship that you can't use at the academy anyway? just wondering?

Wow. Not sure what your connection is with the Academy, but maybe you don't realize that even though they do get tuition/board etc. paid and get a stipend, there are plenty of expenses the cadets have to cover--computer, uniforms (huge expense), books, software, required laundry service (at least 4 deg. year), tailor fees (uniforms again), mandatory haircuts, etc etc etc. To the tune of over $10,000 very first year there. Many times a cadet's pay may be literally just a few bucks after all the deductions for the afore-mentioned expenses. Maybe that month the cadet could buy a pizza in Arnold Hall with his/her pay, but only once. And then for those cadets whose hometowns may be far enough away to require a plane ride home for breaks, flights aren't dirt cheap (avg. $400 for my son to come home x 4 per year= $1600). Cadets can't go out and get a job at McDonalds like a typical college kid to help pay for their expenses/flights home/etc. So to compare them to Puff Diddy is a bit over the top. Cadets are not wealthy.


_________________
Proud mom of a C3C

Edit: Dad and I think alike! And also cross-posted!
 
Wow. Not sure what your connection is with the Academy, but maybe you don't realize that even though they do get tuition/board etc. paid and get a stipend, there are plenty of expenses the cadets have to cover--computer, uniforms (huge expense), books, software, required laundry service (at least 4 deg. year), tailor fees (uniforms again), mandatory haircuts, etc etc etc. To the tune of over $10,000 very first year there. Many times a cadet's pay may be literally just a few bucks after all the deductions for the afore-mentioned expenses. Maybe that month the cadet could buy a pizza in Arnold Hall with his/her pay, but only once. And then for those cadets whose hometowns may be far enough away to require a plane ride home for breaks, flights aren't dirt cheap (avg. $400 for my son to come home x 4 per year= $1600). Cadets can't go out and get a job at McDonalds like a typical college kid to help pay for their expenses/flights home/etc. So to compare them to Puff Diddy is a bit over the top. Cadets are not wealthy.


_________________
Proud mom of a C3C

Edit: Dad and I think alike! And also cross-posted!
you are entitled to your opinion as i to mine. just like deciding between a full ride type 1 scholarship from AFROTC and the academy, they make you give up one and not keep both. you cannot include travel expenses because you'd spend the same if your kids were in some out of state college anyway. that is why they claim that four years at the academy is worth over $400,000 because books,computers,uniforms,board & lodging is covered. i value information dispersed in this forum. why should it matter how i am connected to the academy? this doesn't necessarily mean that i have to agree with your opinion.
 
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Wow. They earned a scholarship and you suggest they turn it down because they have a full ride w/stipend at USAFA. The cadets still pay for their books and uniforms although they earn a stipend as well. It seems to me that a scholarship earned on merit is still a scholarship earned. The OP is entitled to use the scholalship as they see fit. Paying off loans, buying uniforms and books is a valid use of scholarship money. The cadets get the stipend for the training they do beyond the traditional college experience. It is money they earn. It is not being selfish to accept an award and applying towards educational expenses. Perhaps the OP really needs it.

that's exactly the same sentiment that sean comb's son shares. i earned it and i should keep it even my dad is a millionaire. i am not suggesting anything but just stating my own personal opinion. i believe that had the scholarship committee known to award a scholarship to someone who is already getting a full ride, they would opt to give it to someone else who doesn't have any and need it more.
 
you are entitled to your opinion as i to mine. just like deciding between a full ride type 1 scholarship from AFROTC and the academy, they make you give up one and not keep both. you cannot include travel expenses because you'd spend the same if your kids were in some out of state college anyway. that is why they claim that four years at the academy is worth over $400,000 because books,computers,uniforms,board & lodging is covered. i value information dispersed in this forum. why should it matter how i am connected to the academy? this doesn't necessarily mean that i have to agree with your opinion.

Absolutely you are entitled to your own opinion. But not knowing if you were an appointee or a cadet or a parent or just an observer, I just wanted to let you know that there are more expenses than just room and board when you go to college--any college, not just the Academy--information you say you value. And I can include travel expenses, because if my son had not gotten in to the Academy with his tuition and room/board covered, his decision to attend any other university would have taken travel expenses in to account. He's footing the bill, so it does matter.

The types of scholarships people on this thread are posting about are not AFROTC scholarships--of course you have to give up an AFROTC scholarship if you go to the Academy because you won't be attending the other college and participating in ROTC. The scholarships discussed here are probably from many types of organizations--my son's came from the company my husband works for and is merit-based, usable at any university my son would have chosen to attend, including service academies, as stated in the paperwork my son received when applying.

Just checking your profile, I see you are an appointee. Congratulations! You're beginning a great ride--I hope its everything you dreamed about. Maybe you're coming in to the Academy from a family with sufficient resources to help with expenses you'll incur. But not everyone does. The Academy chooses from a wide cross-section of society--you're going to meet kids that are smart, athletic, involved, but who (and their families also) probably don't have $50 in a savings account--I'd bet no one at the Academy comes from a family on the same financial level as Sean Combs. So I'd save the judgmental attitude--it won't serve you well at the Academy anyway. Cadre will see to that. And don't be surprised when you see the first pay statement you get in August and its about $15 or less. All those things you say are "covered"--books, computers, uniforms, etc--will be line after line of deductions from your pay.
 
Absolutely you are entitled to your own opinion. But not knowing if you were an appointee or a cadet or a parent or just an observer, I just wanted to let you know that there are more expenses than just room and board when you go to college--any college, not just the Academy--information you say you value. And I can include travel expenses, because if my son had not gotten in to the Academy with his tuition and room/board covered, his decision to attend any other university would have taken travel expenses in to account. He's footing the bill, so it does matter.

The types of scholarships people on this thread are posting about are not AFROTC scholarships--of course you have to give up an AFROTC scholarship if you go to the Academy because you won't be attending the other college and participating in ROTC. The scholarships discussed here are probably from many types of organizations--my son's came from the company my husband works for and is merit-based, usable at any university my son would have chosen to attend, including service academies, as stated in the paperwork my son received when applying.

Just checking your profile, I see you are an appointee. Congratulations! You're beginning a great ride--I hope its everything you dreamed about. Maybe you're coming in to the Academy from a family with sufficient resources to help with expenses you'll incur. But not everyone does. The Academy chooses from a wide cross-section of society--you're going to meet kids that are smart, athletic, involved, but who (and their families also) probably don't have $50 in a savings account--I'd bet no one at the Academy comes from a family on the same financial level as Sean Combs. So I'd save the judgmental attitude--it won't serve you well at the Academy anyway. Cadre will see to that. And don't be surprised when you see the first pay statement you get in August and its about $15 or less. All those things you say are "covered"--books, computers, uniforms, etc--will be line after line of deductions from your pay.

thank you for detailed explanation and warning. how could i pass judgment or form an educated opinion if i don't have all the facts? it was just a question and i'm glad to explore other people's perspectives then i can derive my own conclusion.
read an article about two celebrities and their kids who received full ride scholarships. puff diddy and denzel washington. the former stated that he "earned it therefore he is entitled to it" . the latter opted to let someone else who needs it more have it.
who do you think did the right thing?

another question i want to ask is:
do you think it's ok for someone who have won millions in the lottery to keep receiving food stamps?
 
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burnerafter16 said:
i believe that had the scholarship committee known to award a scholarship to someone who is already getting a full ride, they would opt to give it to someone else who doesn't have any and need it more.

There is a flaw in your argument which is they would opt to give it to someone else who doesn't have any and/or needs it more.

1. Traditional colleges offer MERIT scholarships and Financial Aid packets. Two totally different things.

Merit is a recruiting tool based on academic excellence in HS. They do not necessarily go down the list until the pot is empty. They have markers set at a certain cgpa, and many times the academic field of study is a player in the equation. Financial ability to pay has no bearing on this decision.

Financial Aid also has scholarships and grants too, but it is financial based, thus the reason why your parents submitted to FAFSA their 1040 Tax return. It is not tied to your academic ability as much as it is tied to your financial disability.

At DS1 and DD's colleges you were only eligible for merit if you applied to the college by a specific date and had a certain cgpa/SAT/ACT. If the college didn't have enough of those candidates, the money was rolled over to the next yr. They did not compromise their stds for merit.


2. AFROTC scholarships work the exact same way, don't fool yourself, it is MERIT and MERIT only.

Use yourself as an example, depending on when you threw that scholarship back into the AFROTC pool it may have never been used.

The last board was early spring, if you declined in May, AFROTC was not going to go to the alternate that did not receive a scholarship and offer them one. The money would be put back in the pot because after the last board there is no alternate list. They may opt to disperse to AFROTC dets, but you don't ever hear of a cadet getting an AFROTC HQ scholarship in June. You do hear of AFROTC cadets getting one in June, but that came from the DET, not HQ!

AFROTC knows that 100% of scholarships will not be accepted, they expected people like you to decline and take an AFA appointment.

Look at AFROTC 2 yrs ago, for 2 yrs they stopped ISS AFROTC scholarships, only this yr did they start them up again. Reason why? They did not expect the high rate of acceptance for HSSP, and there was no money left. Once they realized that rate they pulled back on the amount of scholarships offered. Stats for these cadets went out the door insane. AFROTC does not superscore, AFA does. In case you have never viewed the stats for AFROTC here they are:

Scholarship Types
Type 1 Type 2 Type 7
SAT 1435 1324 1278
ACT 32.7 30.1 28.6
GPA 3.91 3.79 3.77

I think each and everyone, including the stars that you mentioned, EARNED it!

Morally, I agree with you, but realistically your position that they would offer it to someone with lower cgpa/SAT stats is naive.

Let's be honest. HYPPSM all have BILLION dollar endowments. The interest alone on their endowments could allow every student there to attend FREE for all 4 yrs., but yet there are tons of students at those schools carrying 100K+ in student loans.

You have great ideals, and I credit you for it, but that is not how the world works.

OBTW the final flaw in your argument is should financially affluent families tell their children not to attend the AFA because they can afford them to go to an SMC or MIT and they can do ROTC there, thus, giving up that spot to the financially deserving cadet who can't afford Duke even with a Type 1 AFROTC scholarship?
 
Packer,

He is bringing up the case in Michigan/Minnesota. A woman won a million bucks and collected welfare for yrs after winning the lottery.

She was brought up on fraud charges, but honestly I don't know if she was incarcerated or not. It was only a few months ago.

To me this issue is BS when it comes to this debate, the reason why is again accepting a MERIT scholarship has nothing to do with how much money is in ones bank account. Taking federal funds due to financial need and winning a million dollars in a lottery is different.

Afterburner16 needs to view AFROTC and AFA IMPO as MERIT. Yes, money is tied to it because the recipient receives it, but from the AF POV never once was any candidate asked the ability to pay in the admittance/selection process.

Like I said, I would be Denzel and decline the money, but I also have been through this process 3 times(college applications) and know that just because someone declines it does not equate to someone else getting any money.

Afterburner16, let's tweak your supposition/argument.

Malia Obama is affluent, and she is also an URM, leave being the President's DD out of it. She attends one of the most elite private schools in the nation. 4 yrs from now if she gets accepted to Columbia or Harvard, should she turn it down because afterall, she is a legacy and a URM.

Your position if you are being equal would be she should turn it down, at least from a legacy perspective because others need it more.

We can play this game all day long, yet in the end, this is the system. Legacies at certain schools get an edge, but it doesn't mean they will give that spot to another applicant. Same with URM.

Goose meet gander, gander meet goose.
 
Merit means just that, Merit. If you work harder then everyone else and earn a merit scholarship then it is the reward for your hard work, financial need has nothing to do with it. My son started ROTC in 2008, when he was deciding between schools the battalion he eventually chose called him and offered a $2,000.00 bonus that would be deposited directly into his account. They did this because they wanted him based on his achievements to date. He decided to go to this school, not because of the extra money but based on the school and program itself. Now, using your logic since he had been awarded a scholarship and we were in a position to fund his extra costs he should have refused the money so it could be given to someone that needed it more. The cadre would have offered it to someone else if that was the case, they did not, they offered it to my son as a merit award, had my son not accepted it the money would not have been offered to anyone else.

An employee who does an exceptional job gets a bonus, if they make more then the guy that sits next to him should he give it up.

I would totally agree with you if the scholarships were given on a need base, but they were not.

I am sure there are students out there that will be starting college that are less fortunate then yourself, students that will need to carry high student loans just to get through school. Would you be willing to give up your paid education to one of those students, I'm sure they would appreciate it very much.

Remember you received your appointment based on how well you did in high school, not based on your financial need.
 
Packer,

He is bringing up the case in Michigan/Minnesota. A woman won a million bucks and collected welfare for yrs after winning the lottery.

She was brought up on fraud charges, but honestly I don't know if she was incarcerated or not. It was only a few months ago.
I know what he is referring too, hence the word legal.
 
that's exactly the same sentiment that sean comb's son shares. i earned it and i should keep it even my dad is a millionaire. i am not suggesting anything but just stating my own personal opinion. i believe that had the scholarship committee known to award a scholarship to someone who is already getting a full ride, they would opt to give it to someone else who doesn't have any and need it more.

DS has been awarded seven scholarships from various local and national organizations. These are all merit awards that have nothing to do with financial need. He was forthright with each and every one of them regarding his intention to attend USFAFA. He even went so far as to point out to them that he would receive free tuition, room and board. He did point out that he would have many other expenses, including books, supplies, computer, uniforms, required fees, travel expenses, etc. In addition, he applied for at least a dozen others for which he was not selected. DS graduated 2nd in his class with a 3.992 unweighted gpa, while taking numerous honors, AP, and dual credit courses. He received offers of an appointment to USAFA, an LOA to West Point, and ROTC scholarships to both AF and Navy. Our family is lower end of middle class and even with four children we do not qualify for Pell grants or most of the other need based aid that is available. DS did not apply for any scholarships that strongly specified that financial need would be a strong consideration. While DS enjoys and is involved with sports he is not a superstar and none of my children will ever receive athletic scholarship funds of any kind. So, if they are going to receive any assistance it is merit and they have all worked very hard for any scholarship funds that they have received. While many of DS’s peers were lounging around and sleeping in over the summers, he was working 55 – 60 hours per week. During the school year he is involved with a list of school activities that is longer than my arm, including Debate, track, cross country, basketball, student council, National Honor Society, and others. This is in addition to various statewide leadership organizations that have required countless hours of time away from school and in the evenings and on the week-ends. There have been times that we have been concerned about the amount that he has taken on but are very proud of his “step up to the plate” attitude. These organizations chose who they felt best represented the qualities that they were looking for and chose my son. Other students could have stepped forward and applied themselves more and volunteered and been more involved but chose to hang out with their friends or just take it easy instead. He has heard the same kind of comments from some others already that he should have let someone have the money that needed it. There is always going to be those who are jealous. DS has worked hard and I feel that he is not doing anything wrong in accepting these funds. There was no misrepresentation. They knew his plans and wanted to award the funds to him anyway.
 
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