<p>Are there any scholarships that pay cash or allow you to use them in whatever pay you want, like paying for gas?</p>
<p>A lot of local scholarships will just write a check to you.</p>
<p>If they give you the money/check directly, does that mean you can use it for whatever college expenses you want? Do you have to let your schools know that you received ones that come directly to you?</p>
<p>You are supposed to let them know…Whether or not you do or don’t…Well, that’s another story.</p>
<p>You are generally required to let them know especially if you are receiving any need based aid. And remember cash scholarships will probably be taxable so the government will know about them and when you report them on your tax return the school will know about them. Not reporting them can lose to loss of financial aid and/or having to repay aid already paid to you.</p>