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Where does the money go when you get a scholarship?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on February 09, 2026

How do I get my scholarship money? That depends on the scholarship. The money might go directly to your college, where it will be applied to any tuition, fees, or other amounts you owe, and then any leftover funds given to you. Or it might be sent directly to you in a check.

Does scholarship count as income for credit card?

Excess scholarship money that ends up in your bank account after tuition expenses generally counts as income, too. In general, if the money is available to pay a debt you owe, and is not earmarked exclusively for education expenses, it usually counts as income on a credit card application.

How are scholarships paid out?

Scholarships that are awarded by colleges themselves are generally paid directly to the school. In the event that this amount exceeds moneys owed to the school, the financial aid office issues refunds for the balance. These scholarships may be given out for a semester, an entire school year or even a one-time award.

What happens to scholarship money?

Basically, when a student wins a scholarship, they become less “needy,” which means they do not need as much financial aid. Usually, a school will first subtract funds from the student loan component of the package, leaving any grant or work study money alone.

What is a good salary for a credit card?

A good annual income for a credit card is more than $39,000 for a single individual or $63,000 for a household. Anything lower than that is below the median yearly earnings for Americans. However, there’s no official minimum income amount required for credit card approval in general.

Do you get to keep leftover scholarship money?

One reason it’s so difficult is because most scholarship payments are sent directly to the school and are only allowed to be put toward tuition and fees. In most cases, the student doesn’t get to keep any leftover money for personal use, though some colleges do issue refunds, said Kantrowitz.

Can you buy a computer with scholarship money?

Use Scholarship Money for Anything – Education Expenses Education-related expenses are items like textbooks, computers, transportation to and from school and student fees. When you can truly use your scholarship money for anything, all of these education-related expenses fall under that balloon.

Can you use a scholarship to pay for college?

] • You can use your scholarship money for tuition. Since scholarships are meant to help you pay for school, you can almost always use the money on tuition. In fact, many scholarship organizations send the award directly to your college’s financial aid office so the school can apply it to your bill.

How does a college scholarship go to your bank account?

Private scholarships may be sent directly to your college account or they may be sent to you in the form of a check or direct deposit into your bank account. If you win a scholarship and you’re not sure how you’ll receive the money—just ask.

What happens if you withdraw money from a college scholarship?

The exception to this rule is if money is withdrawn in an amount equal to a scholarship received by the beneficiary. Since the penalty can be stiff, always double check with your plan to make sure you are withdrawing the appropriate amount. You don’t need to be number one in your class to win a scholarship.

How does a scholarship affect your financial aid?

“If a college is aware of a scholarship, it will reduce the student’s need-based financial aid package dollar for dollar,” says financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz. Need-based financial aid could include grants – that is, free money – or subsidized student loans.