I am not usually a supporter of the "We are locking this thread until Randy has a chance to reply" action, but in this case I would not only lock the thread but make it disappear.

If the OP is asking for financial aid from Randy, it should be done privately in a PM. Randy should not be put on the spot of having to reply publicly.

It is a lose-lose proposition for him. If he refuses the scholarship he comes across like a cheapskate. If the grants it, he is opening himself to hundreds of thousands of people who also feel he should give them money for what may (or may not be) a good reason.