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Student Financial Aid

External Resources

Private Scholarships

Private scholarships are scholarships funded by entities aside from Clemson University. They are financial aid resources and must be reported to Clemson’s Office of Student Financial Aid each year you receive a private award.

 

How to Find Private Scholarships

In addition to the search sites listed below, students can learn about the availability of private scholarships by checking with high school guidance counselors, churches, community organizations and parents' employers. Reference books and scholarship directories are available in local libraries.

Recommended Scholarship Search Service

Beware of Scholarship Scams 

Scam Warning Signs

  • You must pay a fee.
  • Money-back guarantee.
  • Credit card/bank account information required.
  • Offers exclusive information.

Common Scams

  • Phony Scholarship — promises cash if you pay a registration fee.
  • Phony Scholarship Matching Service — pay a fee and they guarantee you will win awards.
  • Phony Educational Loan — pay a fee and receive a low interest loan.
  • Phony Financial Aid Seminar — a high pressure, poorly concealed sales pitch.

How to Utilize Your Private Scholarships

Since 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 to comply with federal, state and institutional regulations.

Outside Resource Scholarship (ORS) Checks

  • ORS checks will NOT be credited toward the bill until the check is received by Student Financial Services each semester.

  • ORS checks must be sent to the following address:

    Office of Student Financial Services
    Box 345307, G-08 Sikes Hall
    Clemson, SC 29634-5307

  • ORS checks may be sent with your payment to the Student Financial Services Office.

  • ORS checks must have the student's name and nine-digit Clemson student ID (CUID) number on the check.

  • ORS 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 ORS check funds will be credited in full to the current semester.

Requests for Verification of Enrollment, Grades and/or Itemized Bills 

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

  • If your donor requires a copy of your itemized bill, you must log into iROAR to obtain your itemized bill and provide it to your donor.

Private Scholarship Forms Requiring Information from Financial Aid  

Scholarship forms requesting financial aid information should be sent to:

The Office of Student Financial Aid
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 nine-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.

View Your Private Scholarship in iROAR 

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 confirm with your donor when the payment was mailed. 

If the date exceeds two weeks, then please email outsidescholarships@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.

Generally, outside resources are   not  credited until the funds have been received by Student Financial Services. Exceptions may be made for extremely large scholarships where arrangements have been made in advance with the Office of Student Financial Aid

What Can Your Private Scholarship 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.
- Meal plans. 

Private Scholarship Funds Exceeding University Costs

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 two 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. 

Applying Private Scholarship Funds to Co-Ops, Internships and Study Abroad

We require specific written permission from the scholarship donor/administrator for the use of scholarship funds for anything other than full-time enrollment on Clemson’s campus, such as co-op, internship and study abroad experiences. This permission needs to be in the form of a letter sent to the Office of Student Financial Aid by either U.S. mail or email ( finaid@clemson.edu ).

Private Scholarship Checks Previously Cashed

  • If you have already cashed your private scholarship check, 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.

External Resources