Navigating Colleges Payments Post Award

MichelleCollins

Hello everyone,

We often get students (or their parents) coming to us to ask what's happening with their scholarships once it has been to sent to a particular school. While I don't mind following up with the school to ensure the funding was received, I often feel like I am being asked to navigate each school's method from money coming in the door to landing in the student's hands.

Are others running into this? How do you handle it? It seems that there as many methods as their are schools in our province.

Thanks so much!

Michelle Collins

Oakville Community Foundation

jesspuglisisanders

Hi, Michelle -
I did a little experiment this year and sent a bulk email to recipients once their checks had been mailed to their next stops. I included the assurance that mailing had occurred and then laid out what they could very generally expect (based on knowledge/experience) moving forward. I included a gentle reminder that we have no control over the USPS or the processing timing for colleges/universities.

I restated many details they probably didn't read in earlier correspondence and offered a reiteration of some displacement awareness. I also included a section on how we handle reissues should they elect to transfer. The final section pertained to recipients with multi-year scholarships and reminders about annual verification, etc.

Past cycles included more contact with recipients rather than confirming with schools.

I'm hoping we experience a reduction in frantic calls and a smoother process for the inevitable transfers. We shall see!

Good luck!
Jess

MollyCerroni

We send families a copy of the paperwork that was sent to the colleges. We'll get a few calls several weeks later from parents who have since called the school, with the school telling them that they hadn't received the check. I check with our accountant who tells me the check has been cashed (every time!) and that's the end of it on our end. It's in the school's hands.