How does financial aid disbursement work?

It depends on their policy. They might notify you by email when the check arrives and tell you to go pick it up at the financial aid office. You would only get a check if you have leftover money after they deduct the tuition fees.

Well they will process all of your paperwork (if your student information is online like most schools, just keep checking your financial aid status under your student login and make sure they aren’t asking for more documentation. That will be the biggest hold-up).

Financial aid is disbursed first to your student account. They will apply it to all your tuition, fees, bookstore charges (if your school does that), and any other fees that pop up (like parking permits and other random things). Once all of that is applied, if you have financial aid remaining on your balance (i.e. you got enough financial aid to help pay for your living expenses) your student account will reflect that. The dollar amount on your account will show a negative balance, meaning that is what they owe you after all your tuition and fees have been paid.

Normally, schools wait until after the 100% refund deadline for classes…which is usually the second Friday of the term…until cutting checks, because it’s just easier for them to keep track of everyone’s charges that way.

Once they process everyone’s refund checks they will either mail them out or let you come and pick them up. Some schools also do direct deposit, but not all of them. You might want to check and see how your specific school sends out the refunds. Each school is different, so it’s hard for me to tell you exactly how you will get your check since I don’t know what school it is.

Hope that helps!