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  Step Five - Disbursements: Receiving Financial Aid Funds    
 

 

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Disbursement is the process through which financial aid is released and distributed to eligible students and their parents. 

University Disbursements Releases Students' Funds

University Disbursements manages the release of all financial aid and scholarship funds (direct deposit and mailed checks).

Check your account online anytime at Student Account Services.

University Disbursements Office will send you an e-mail when they—

  • pay your university charges of registration fees (and housing) from your funds,
  • directly deposit funds to your bank account (the quickest way to get your funds),
  • mail a check (if you are not signed up for direct deposit) to the address indicated in your SDSU WebPortal account (checks are mailed after classes begin)

Methods of Receiving Financial Aid Funds

eRefund (Direct Deposit):

The fastest and safest way to receive financial aid funds is through University Disbursements direct deposit program.

Direct deposits begin the Thursday before classes start and continue to be processed twice a week.

Mailed check:

If you do not sign up for eRefund (Direct Deposit), a check will be mailed to the address you have through your WebPortal with the Office of the Registrar.  Checks are mailed once a week beginning after classes start.

Avoid delays! Update your mailing address through the SDSU WebPortal.

When Disbursement Begins

Financial aid awards are disbursed twice during the year: the fall and spring semesters.

When:

For students who have signed up for direct deposit online at Student Account Services, disbursement begins the Thursday before classes start each semester, if all conditions are met.  All other disbursements are mailed after classes start.

Disbursements continue throughout the semester as new awards are processed or changes to awards occur.

Students are encouraged to complete the application process early and to sign up for eRefund (direct deposit).

Parent PLUS Loan disbursements:

If all conditions are met, the earliest disbursement will happen is the first week of classes and will continue throughout the semester as Parent PLUS Loans are processed. 

To ensure disbursement when classes begin, parents are encouraged to complete the Parent PLUS Loan process early.

CSU Visitor Program participants:

Checks will be mailed to the program coordinator at the school being attended.

Study Abroad participants:

Funds will be disbursed (mailed or direct deposited) to a local address once classes begin at the host campus and University Disbursements receives enrollment confirmation.

Conditions For Disbursement

Before the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) sends your record to University Disbursements to release award funds, the following conditions must be met—

  • You must be awarded financial aid
  • All financial aid holds must be cleared
  • You must be enrolled in at least 6 units

When the above conditions are met, the OFAS forwards your record to University Disbursements. 

If any registration fee deferments and/or housing payment postponements were applied to the student’s account, the amounts will be deducted from the award amount. 

After all charges and fees have been subtracted from the award, the remaining amount is referred to as a “refund” on your account through Student Account Services.

Financial Aid Holds

A financial aid hold may be placed on your award if the OFAS needs additional information or documentation from you.

Should we need more information, we will send you an e-mail (or paper) notice containing instructions on how to log on to AidLink to view your hold(s) and the action you need to take to clear them.

Financial aid holds can affect the evaluation of your financial aid eligibility and delay disbursement of your aid funds.

Financial Aid Registration Fee Deferment

Each semester you must pay your registration fees prior to registering for classes, unless you qualify for a financial aid registration fee deferment.

Description of financial aid fee registration deferment:

A financial aid registration fee deferment is—

  • a way you may postpone payment of your registration fees and tuition until your financial aid funds are available for disbursement, and
  • authorization to the university Cashiers to deduct your deferred fee payments from your financial aid when it becomes available.

Parking, photo ID, and late registration fees are not covered by a financial aid registration fee deferment.

Qualifications for a registration fee deferment:

To find out if you are eligible for registration fee deferment, log on to AidLink, and look under "Fee Deferment."

You must have financial aid eligibility equal to or greater than full-time registration fees to qualify for a financial aid registration fee deferment. 

If your aid is not available for any reason, or will not cover the entire amount of your registration fees and tuition, you will receive an electronic billing statement from the University Cashiers Office after the deadline for adding and dropping a class.

How to receive a registration fee deferment:

  • For qualified aid applicants, a registration fee deferment is automatic - no forms are required.
  • You will be able to register online at the SDSU WebPortal for classes on the date indicated.  After you log on, select "My Registration."

For information about registration payment options, refer to the "Fee Payment Options" link in the Class Schedule available on the Office of the Registrar's Web site.
 

University Housing Payment Postponement

If you are receiving financial aid (grants, loans, or scholarships), the university will use these funds to pay any outstanding institutional charges, including housing fees.  This means that at the beginning of each semester, any remaining costs above your initial payment, will be deducted from your aid disbursement.  If your aid disbursement is not enough to cover the total costs for the semester, you will be responsible for making the remaining payments when they are due.

  • You must use your own funds to pay the $800 initial payment required by the Office of Housing Administration.

  • Subsequent housing and meal costs will be deducted from your financial aid disbursement at the beginning of the semester.

  • If the amount of financial aid you receive is not sufficient to cover all housing costs, you will receive an electronic billing statement from University Cashiers.

  • If financial aid becomes available, it will be applied to any outstanding bills from the current semester.

If you are a new undergraduate student, from a family with very low income, and have applied for financial aid, we will notify you if you are eligible to postpone all or a portion of the initial housing payment.

Tracking university housing costs

It is your responsibility to log on to the University Cashiers Student Account Services Web page for an accurate accounting of the amount of financial aid disbursed and applied toward your university housing costs.

Dropping Units or Withdrawing After Disbursement

The number of units enrolled affects disbursement amounts Disbursement is based on the number of units in which you are enrolled at the time your aid is ready to be released. For example—

  •  

  • If you are enrolled in 9 units, you will receive only 3/4 of your Pell Grant.

  • If you add 3 units, you will receive the balance of your Pell Grant, and any other funds at the next scheduled disbursement.

  • Some aid programs require that you enroll full time (Academic Competitiveness Grant, Educational Opportunity Program Grant, and SMART Grant).

If you drop units after all of your aid funds have been disbursed, you may have received funds for which you were not entitled. If this is the case you will receive—

  • An award adjustment notice from the OFAS.

  • A billing statement from University Cashiers for any overpayment. (See Enrollment.)

Overpayments must be repaid before further aid will be disbursed to you. If you have any questions, go to the Student Financial Services Web site where you will find many options to explore, or contact University Disbursements.  If your repayment is past due, contact University Collections. 

If you drop to less than 6 units or withdraw from all classes

You may qualify for a refund of registration fees and/or nonresident tuition.

If you stopped attending classes or are planning to withdraw from the university, see Withdrawing from SDSU.

Refunds 

Federal regulations under Title IV require the university to determine if a refund must be made to the student or if disbursed financial aid must be returned to the federal government accounts.  

The Class Schedule "Money Matters" section contains information regarding refunds for Title IV financial aid recipients.

It is important that you be aware of SDSU's refund policy and how it affects your financial aid.