Scholarship Check Policy

Learn about private scholarship policies

Private scholarships can affect financial aid already awarded to a student.  It is the policy of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to use private scholarships to reduce work-study and loans before reducing gift aid unless required to do so by state or federal regulation.  Students whose original award is changed will receive an email notification and advised to review their revised award online on the Financial Aid and Scholarship Self-Service Portal.

Scholarship checks are frequently made payable to both the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the student recipient.  Students must visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships in the University Center to endorse a scholarship check and are required to bring picture identification. The student will be given a receipt.    Never endorse a scholarship check and send it to our office through the mail.

Most private scholarships are equally divided between the fall and winter semesters.  If a check is $500 or less, the funds will be used for the current term unless specific instructions have been provided by the donor.

Organizations awarding scholarships frequently provide written requirements that students must meet to be eligible for their award.  Students are responsible for knowing the terms of their award.  The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships must certify eligibility or return the check to the awarding organization.

The typical processing time for private scholarship checks ready for deposit is 48 business hours. At peak times (August through early September), students should allow additional time for the processing of private scholarship checks.  Stale dated checks or checks approaching the stale date will not be accepted and will be returned to the awarding organization for reissue.

We depend on the assistance of our students to help our office provide the timely processing scholarship checks.

Policy owned by: Financial Aid and Scholarships

Last review: 7/2019

Last updated: 7/2019

Next review: 1/2021