<p>To me, this one sounds like a policy that probably is not on a college website – I’m guessing the OP has already scoured that site looking for an answer.</p>
<p>
Found one!! (hope the tables line up correctly. If not, the instate/OOS difference is only $1238)</p>
<p>Annual College Costs ( Fall 2007 )
Living on-campus Living at home Commuting,<br>
In-state tuition and fees: $5,373 $ 5,373 $5,373
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $6,611 $6,611 $6,611
Room and board: $5,240 $1,558 $5,990
Books and supplies: $976 $976 $976
Estimated personal expenses: $2,004 $2,316 $2,316
Transportation expense: $1,278 $1,494 $1,494 </p>
<p>The school??? South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD!</p>
<p>So maybe the OP’s kid is a Fighting Jackrabbit. </p>
<p>[SDSU:</a> News At State](<a href=“http://www3.sdstate.edu/SDSU/NewsDetail45702.cfm?ID=46,6306]SDSU:”>http://www3.sdstate.edu/SDSU/NewsDetail45702.cfm?ID=46,6306)</p>
<p>Don’t laugh. That’s one badass rabbit.</p>
<p>So, CC is finally giving SDSU some attention! (That’s South Dakota, not San Diego, folks.)</p>
<p>Sorry, mudge. I am still laughing!</p>
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<p>I posted before that this could be a case of first impression for that school and this situation (certainly for that bursar) , but I’d give xig, papachicken and I (and several other CC posters) a try before announcing that the results of any internet search were Nada. ;)</p>
<p>From the latest op’s post, it simply looks like a clerical error that they may or may not catch. We all tend to think folks look over everything in great detail when in reality they punch in a couple codes and the computer does the rest. A parameter was wrong and thus an check was spit out. They may never know they did it. </p>
<p>As Kulge pointed out, it wasn’t a scholarship plus a living stipend. It looks like just an error. Schools can’t hold over funds they are required to clear accounts by year end business or calendar. For example, my oldest had several scholarships (inside and outside) that all came to his school first year, more than necessary for everything. At year end they cut him a check in his name to do as he pleased. Which in our case was to redeposit it with the school 24 hours later as per the finanical aid office advise. Again this may be why the op school did this. I am sure they didn’t think twice about it. If it stopped, someone probably changed a parameter. </p>
<p>I would guess if you make a fuss, they will just apply it towards another year. It appears to only have happened once. Just my guess from my experiences getting a check back. </p>
<p>I would review the annual statement to see if scholarships are at full strength. They may catch it at any time and correct. Since we don’t know the school, we can’t check policy, but I would guess there is a right of recovery in the school admission process that you agree to when you sign up. </p>
<p>I would also ad this, if your kid is happy there, why the fuss? Enjoy the time, it’s gone very quickly. Since you won’t disclose the school, we can’t really help you over their policy. That is why some of this has gotten nasty. </p>
<p>Because without all the information, human nature dictates we think the worst.</p>
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</p>
<p>This is exactly how I see it.</p>
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<p>I second this, too.</p>
<p>
???Opie??? You got some reference for this? There are people prone to negativity and catastrophizing (I am speaking in generalities-- not about anyone) but there are people who are positive thinkers, optimists, idealists, etc. Many make lemons into lemonade, and others just pucker up their sour lips (again-- GENERAL statement about optimists and pessimists)</p>
<p>I didn’t really think there was such a list-- well, except now the list of one: SDSU-- and that’s a pretty amazing tuition cost (and cost difference between in-state and out-of-state-- actually much less than $2500). I’m impressed.</p>
<p>^^^ janieblue,
Yes, there is such a list. It is called the CB website 
(am I allowed to mention Collegeboard here???)</p>
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</p>
<p>Yes you are but Collegeboard wants 16 bucks for it. ;)</p>
<p>^^^^LOL!! And by the way, you are sooooo right about the research skills of you, xig, papachicken, and I’d add tokenadult and a few others to your list. You have a true gift.</p>
<p>I think OP was very clear in his post that the “2,500” difference was a hypothetical figure – he prefers to keep the real figures to himself.</p>
<p>dbwes: Based on the OP’s comment below, I didn’t get the sense this was a hypothetical figure. Later, he did talk about higher figures-- as hypothetical-- but I did get the impression that the refund check was in the actual amount of $2500. </p>
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</p>
<p>So maybe the OP lives near South Dakota?? 
Haven’t found too many others to add tothis list yet. Found some schools whose tuitions are about $3500 apart between in/out of state, but nothing as close as SDSU yet.</p>
<p>After reading 6 pages, my take is that the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing in the very beginning, and the OOS award was based on someone assuming incorrectly that the student would have to pay OOS tuition. I also think the award was tuition forgiveness, not outright scholarship dollars. I think this student was simply offered the chance to pay no tuition. I now think that once again, a clerical error was made at the bursar’s office. </p>
<p>Time to call or write and ask: was the award a dollar amount and if so, where is the refund for the 4 prior semesters? If the award was tuition forgiveness, not actual dollars, what is to be done with the refund given? Worst case scenerio is you have to give the refund back. Best case scenerio, you might get another 4 times that back.</p>
<p>OP clearly stated:</p>
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</p>
<p>$2500 is therefore a hypothetical amount and not the real amount of the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at the university in this particular case.</p>
<p>OK, based on post #214, I think I’ve got it figured out.</p>
<p>The BURSAR’s office at a university has nothing to do with scholarships; they just process the payment of bills. If they get too much, they refund money. </p>
<p>For example, during my daughter’s first semester of colleges, she received an increase of need-based grant money of +$2,000. This was after the fall semester’s tuition had been paid. So the Bursar’s office gave HER (not me), a check for $2K. My daughter called me and asked what she should do with the check. By that time it was late into the semester – so I told her to go back to the Bursar’s office and ask whether she could endorse the check payable to them, to be applied to spring semester. (They were happy to do so).</p>
<p>I think the bottom line is that, on behalf of A, B paid C more than C was owed, and C is now refunding to A – when the money really should have been sent back to B. A could probably pocket that money without risk – the worst case is down the line someone will ask for it back – but the reality is that both B and C are bureaucratic offices staffed by people whose prime responsibility is to move paper off their desks and make their books balance.</p>
<p>A’s request for a refund for prior years won’t work, because the books are closed for those years. It is true that for the preceding 3 years, C collected more than was technically owed – but that is a problem to be resolved between B and C. The only reason A got the money this year is that it was a mistake – C should have sent the money back to B. Perhaps, B will now demand the money from A. </p>
<p>Anyway… the OP can do whatever he wants… but I think the result is going to be that he will lose the bird in hand rather than gain the ones in the bush.</p>
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<p>You don’t by any chance write tax laws do you? :D</p>