So I had been receiving a $900 per semester scholarship from my music department. I had to partake in a voice studio class and two ensambles. I have had a severe medical issue this semester and had to medically drop two of those class and be removed fron the third (the teacher actually canceled most of the rehersals anyway) This was going to be my last semester receiving it due to unrelated reasons.
I get a very angry call from my parents today after they received a bill for $900 because the scholarship had been revoked, in November. There was no meeting, no email, nothing but a very sudden Bill.
Is this legal? Especially since my drops were from documented medical issues?
If the terms of the scholarship contract required you to be enrolled in these classes then it is legal. Did you notify the proper people at you college about the reasons for dropping the classes or did you just stop attending class? Did you withdraw completely after the refund period?
If you don’t follow the rules of a scholarship, they will drop it. Like if a college says “you must take 15 hours and have a 3.0 to keep scholarship,” then you better follow those rules.
A college is not required to give out money, especially merit money. Nothing illegal about dropping you for not following guidelines of the scholarship
You indicated that you rec’d that scholarship and you were req’d to take a voice class and two ensembles. You are no longer taking those classes, correct?
Why would you think that the school is going to allow you to keep the $900 when you didn’t fulfill the req’t that you had to take those 3 classes? It’s unfortunate that you had medical issues, but again, the school isn’t going to let you keep a scholarship when you didn’t stay in those 3 classes. Being in those 3 classes was “part of the deal.”
Sounds like your parents don’t want to pay that $900. You may need to either take a student loan (if you aren’t already) to cover that or pay your parents back.
Yes. You did not meet the terms of your contract. The heads up was sending the bill to pay for the scholarship money forfeited by dropping the classes.
It’s unfortunate that you had to drop for medical issues, and I hope all is better, but schools do hold students/families accountable for paying even when dropping due to medical issues if after the withdrawal period.
You also may not have enough credits to qualify for the scholarship if you dropped two courses. My daughter has one scholarship that pays by the credit. You drop the credits, you get billed for that amount. She did drop one course and the bill went up $235, which I was billed in the middle of the semester. If she would have dropped below 12 credits, I would have been billed for the entire semester’s credit for that scholarship, about $1500. She knows she can’t do that!
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But they are allowed to drop me mid semester without even giving a heads up?
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“Allowed to drop you”???
Who dropped you? Sounds like you dropped at least 2 of the required classes.
Or do you mean…“Are they allowed to take back the scholarship without giving you a heads up?”
“Allowed”? Who could stop them? It’s their money. There isn’t a higher entity that has control over their money or their decisions on how to handle their money.
That said… Once you dropped those 2 courses, what difference would it have made if they had sent you an email a few days later saying that they took back the award and now you owe $900? What difference would it have made??? You’d still owe the money.
The letter was the “heads up”. What difference would an email make?
A meeting??? What for? Why would they spend time arranging a meeting just to say, "you’ve lost your award, so now you owe $900.)
You seem to think that you could have made an argument to keep the money. No.
^ Depending on who’s giving the scholarship, he could’ve. Many scholarship programs work with their students to maintain the awards when there are extenuating circumstances. Hearing the OP out would’ve been the polite thing to do.
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If this student could make an argument to keep the award money then he can still try to do so. nothing can prevent him from trying.
This sounds like a dept scholarship. They’re not likely going to “work with students” as a university would. They’re providing money for taking particular classes.
as an aside…my own kid had a music award in college. It was smaller than the OPs…$250 a quarter. The condition of her award was that she participate in the orchestra, and that she take private lessons. Oh…and there was no cost for,those private lessons IF the kid played in the orchestra.
My kid had a medical emergency one term and missed three weeks of classes. She did not drop orchestra or music lessons, ur did drop one course. Her courses still were well within full time status.
It sounds like the OP had two things…dropped the courses that were required for the scholarship…AND dropped below full time status possibly.
She can talk to the department and financial aid…but she should also be prepared to pay the $900.
OP also said this was the last term to receive this scholarship, so sounds like they were not planning to continue in that major or those classes anymore anyway. Or the scholarship was limited in time.
So that $900 for this semester was it. Because of the unfortunate medical issue you have lost it, and your parents or you have to pay it.
You can try to get a job now or in the summer when your health is better, and offer to pay your parents back.
If neither of you can afford to pay the $900, see if the school will let you make payments on it.
It sounds like the school had to remove the scholarship because the student did not meet the terms. If it is a departmental scholarship, meet with the head of the department to see if there is any chance you might be able to get it back - chances are not, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
The financial aid office removed the scholarship when they were informed it was to be removed, is my guess. The aid office does not generally do the eligibility review - it is usually the department or a scholarship office. The aid office just removes as requested and repackages aid, if necessary. The removal is reflected on the student’s statement.
OP, look back through your school email. Are you sure you didn’t miss a notification somewhere along the line?
The unfortunate lesson here is that when you receive FA of any type you need to discuss the ramifications of dropping a course with the Financial Aid department before you drop the course. If you are too sick to handle this then have your parents call or email on your behave. I have had to do this for my daughter and they were willing to talk to me.
I definitely feel for you. Seems like a bad roll of fate that did not enable you to continue with those classes. Unless the school can give you some special dispensation due to your illness, they are correct for dropping you due to your failure to uphold your end of the agreement. I know it is harsh but welcome to contract law.