Can you keep the money on a subsidized Stafford loan.?

What I mean by that is , is the check physically handed to you, instead of being credited to your account for it to be refunded to you at the end of the semester. I took out a loan under the impression that i would be able to use that money for other expenses while in college. So my question is am i going to be able to take the check and cash it myself then use it for my expenses . My tuition is paid already