Disbursement of Funds

Prior to the distribution of any funds to your student account several items need to be completed. These may include but are not limited to:

• Electronically Signing the Financial Aid Award Notice
• Completing all items requested for Verification
• Signing Master Promissory Notes (Parents or Students depending on the loan)
• Completing Entrance Counseling (students only)

In addition please keep checking your student account via UDSIS to make sure that all to-do list items have been completed. Keep in mind that Financial aid is awarded based a full-time status (12 credits for Undergraduate, 9 credits for Graduate). Disbursements may be delayed and awards may be reduced if your enrollment status changes. Our office generally begins adjusting aid after the drop/add period to help facilitate disbursement of funds for part-time students. Students should also note that they need to be enrolled for 6 or more credits to be eligible for Financial Aid for Undergraduate students and 5 credits or more for Graduate students.

Students attending only one semester will have that semester's award disbursed at the beginning of the semester. Financial aid is applied to tuition and fee charges first and then toward housing and other institutional charges. If the aid is greater than the charges owed, the student may request a refund via their UDSIS

Grants and Scholarships offered by the Financial Aid Office or a department within the University show on the student's account as pending Financial Aid and are generally credited to the Student's account during the first week of classes.

Scholarships awarded through outside agencies will show up as pending Financial Aid once we have received proof from either the donor or the student indicating that a scholarship in the students name is forthcoming. Once the check(s) have been received by our office and after the first day of classes the money will be credited to the Student's account. In addition outside scholarship awards are divided equally between the Fall and Spring semesters unless we are instructed otherwise by the donor.

Biweekly paychecks are paid via direct deposit to a bank account the student has chosen. The amount paid is determined by the department and by the amount of Work-study awarded.

Federal Perkins Loan funds are credited each semester to your student account generally one week after the first day of classes, provided you have electronically signed your Promissory note and have registered each semester at least half time. The Promissory note will be available to you after the student has accepted the Perkins Loan online.

Funds will be disbursed directly to your Student account during the first week of classes granted you have completed a Master Promissory Note or if you already have a Master Promissory Note on file, your loan has been originated and acknowledged by the Direct Loan Servicer, and you have completed your Entrance Counseling. Please keep in mind that if you are transferring from another University you will need to complete a new Master Promissory Note for UD as well as Entrance Counseling. Also keep in mind that if you are not full-time there will be a delay in disbursing your loan since it will need to be prorated based on your enrollment. Proration is based on one semester and the enrollment status for that semester. If you are only receiving a loan for one semester your disbursement will be split into 2 equal disbursements, separated by about 4 weeks (this is due to Federal regulations).

Federal Direct PLUS Loan disbursements will be credited directly to your student account after your loan has been processed. If a refund is due resulting from the PLUS Loan, the parent who signed for the loan needs to contact Billing services in order to request the refund.