How to Utilize Your Private Scholarships

Non-Clemson, donor-selected, private scholarships:  These awards are also referred to as "outside scholarships" or "private scholarships" which are funded by various individuals, organizations and companies. They are considered to be financial aid resources and therefore must be reported to the Clemson University Office of Student Financial Aid annually. You must remember to report all private scholarships you receive every year.

Because outside resources are counted in your total financial aid package, it may be necessary for the Office of Student Financial Aid to adjust your other financial aid in order to be in compliance with federal, state and institutional regulations.

Outside Resource Scholarship Checks:

• Will NOT be credited toward the bill until the check is received by the Student Financial Services each semester.
• Must be sent to the following address:
  Office of Student Financial Services
  Box 345307, G-08 Sikes Hall
  Clemson, SC 29634-5307
• May be sent with your payment to the Student Financial Services Office
• Must have the student's name and 9-digit Clemson student ID number on the check
• Checks made payable to you or to you and the university need to be endorsed. You may write "For deposit only to Clemson University" on the back of the check with your endorsement signature.
• All funds will be credited in full to the fall semester.  Any other special disbursement requests should be indicated in writing to the Student Financial Services.

Requests for verification of enrollment and/or grades:

• You must request transcripts, grade reports or verification of enrollment from the Registrar's Office
• These cannot be sent out by the Student Financial Services, these requests must be sent to the Office of Records and Registration.

Special requests for Clemson University to invoice the outside resource scholarship donor:

Make sure that written instructions for invoicing are sent to the Student Financial Services at the address given above. The instructions should contain the following:

• Name and address of the donor/organization to be billed
• Phone number and e-mail contact information
• Name and 9-digit Clemson ID of the student
• Amounts to be billed and any special disbursement instructions

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):

My scholarship donor has sent me a form that has to be filled out by Financial Aid. What should I do?
Scholarship forms requesting financial aid information should be sent to the Office of Student Financial Aid at G01 Sikes Hall, Box 345123, Clemson, SC 29634. The form must be signed by the student, giving Clemson University permission to release the information. Include your 9-digit Clemson ID number on the form. We make every effort to complete and mail out forms within one week of receipt. We will list the scholarship as a resource on your financial aid account, which may be viewed in iROAR under Resources, but the scholarship will not be credited to your student bill until the check is received from the donor.

What can I use my outside resource to pay for?
Private scholarships are credited to your university bill once the check is received from the donor and will go toward paying any directly billed university charges, such as tuition, fees, housing and meal plans. If the total financial aid credited to your bill is more than the total due to the university, you will receive a refund of the excess aid when classes begin or within 2 weeks of receipt of the donor check if the semester has already begun. This refund can be used to pay for other educational expenses that are not directly billed, such as books.

I do not see my outside resource on my financial aid record (iROAR) yet even though my donor said that it has been mailed.  Why?
Please allow two weeks from the date on which a check was mailed to Clemson University for the outside resource to appear on your student account. If, after two weeks, you still do not see your outside resource, please e-mail studentbillquestions-L@clemson.edu .  If you have notified the Office of Student Financial Aid about your outside resource, then you will be able to view your scholarship in iROAR under Resources, but the scholarship will not be credited to your student bill until the actual check is received from the donor.

I will be participating in a co-op, internship or study abroad experience.  Can I use my private scholarship?
We require specific written permission from the scholarship donor/administrator for use of scholarship funds for anything other than full-time enrollment on Clemson’s campus. This permission needs to be in the form of a letter sent to the Student Financial Services by either US mail or e-mail (studentbillquestions-L@clemson.edu ).

I have already cashed my scholarship check. What should I do?
You MUST report this scholarship to the Office of Student Financial Aid at Clemson University. We will count it as part of your total financial aid, but it will not be credited to your bill.

I do not see my scholarship credited for the semester. Why?
As a general rule, outside resources are NOT credited until the funds have been received by the Student Financial Services.  Exceptions may be made for extremely large scholarships where arrangements have been made in advance with the Offices of Student Financial Services and Student Financial Aid.