Refund Status
What is a refund?
When students receive more financial aid credits or personal payments than university charges, the excess funds are paid to the student (or parent, if the funds came from a Parent Plus loan) as a “refund”.
Financial Aid Refunds
Financial aid, including loans, are first used to pay student account charges. A refund will be issued only if there is a credit after charges are paid. The application of these funds will supersede all University payment plans and contracts. Federal law states that any funds over and above allowable charges for the current semester must be refunded to the student within 14 days after disbursement.*
*Awards intended to pay for tuition and fees only are non-refundable. Aid packages will be adjusted in the event of an over award from non-refundable funds such as Cal Grant A/B awards, institutional merit/ need-based aid, or endowed scholarships.
Personal Payment Refunds
If you have paid more than your charges for tuition, fees and room and board (if living on campus) you may be entitled to a refund. Refunds of personal payments should be requested from your usfca.edu email address to studentaccounts@usfca.edu.
If payment was made with Flywire, the credit balance may be refunded back to the original payment method through Flywire.
Note: Students are responsible for paying any additional charges incurred on their student account after receiving their refund.
Refund FAQs
Students whose accounts are overpaid by financial aid or personal payments may be entitled to a refund. Students who owe a balance after their financial aid has been processed will not receive a refund. Credit balances are shown on View and Pay as negative numbers. A number in parentheses indicates that it is negative.
Students that withdraw from the university after the start of term are not entitled to a full refund and will be subject to the University's Refund Policy.
Courses dropped after census date are non-refundable.
After your financial aid application is received, you may need to complete outstanding financial aid requirements. In some instances, "expected aid" doesn't become "actual aid" until specific documents are completed and submitted to USF or to other grant or lending agencies. After accessing your financial aid via the myUSF Student Self-Service portal, go to the financial aid information link, and navigate to the financial aid status page to view your outstanding aid requirements. You may also complete verification by using the "complete verification/upload documents" through your myUSF Student Self-Service financial aid tab.
Financial aid refunds will be processed within 7-14 business days after the disbursement date for the term.
Financial Aid Disbursement Dates
2023- 2024 Undergraduate and Graduate (excluding law)
| Semester | Disbursement Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | August 14, 2023 |
| Spring 2024 | January 12, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 (Session 1, 2, and 4) | May 10, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 (Session 5) | May 31, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 (Session 3 and 6) | June 21, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 (Session 7) | July 12, 2024 |
| Private Loans* | *Varies depending on lender |
For more information about disbursements.
Reason why you haven't received your refund:
- You may not be entitled to a refund due to an owing balance on your student account.
- Your financial aid has not been processed yet. Make sure you have submitted a FAFSA application for the correct aid year. You must accept your awards, fulfill all your outstanding aid requirements, and monitor your student email for important financial aid updates.
- Your financial aid has not been disbursed yet. You may view the university's Financial Aid Policies for additional disbursement information.
- You must be registered for classes. Some awards require a minimum registration of half time (6 units for Undergraduates, 3 for Graduates), or full time (12+ for Undergraduates, 6+ for Graduates), and some are pro-rated based on enrollment.
- The refund address or direct deposit information we have on file is incorrect. You can view/update your refund address and direct deposit information in the Student Self-Service.
- Your refund may be in transit to you. You can view your recent charges/ credits to your account via the Current Activity/ Class Schedule link on View and Pay. Note: mailed refund checks are dependent on USPS delivery times. Typically, they are received within 1-2 weeks.
If you have credit balance on your account and would like to inquire about why you have not received your refund, you may contact the Student Accounts Office. Please make sure you have checked the disbursement schedule and met all outstanding aid requirements before inquiring about a Financial Aid Refund.
You may view a complete list of charges and credits to your student account by clicking the Current Activity/ Class Schedule link on View and Pay. For accounting purposes, refunds are displayed in the charge column. If you see a refund in your account detail that has not been received, you may submit a request to have it reissued online. Make sure to update your refund address or set up your direct deposit preferences on the Student Self-Service before requesting a refund reissue.
Refunds may be displayed as “unspecified payment type” in your account detail when processing. If you see an “unspecified payment type” charge description, it is an indication that your refund is processing and you should receive it shortly.