Refunds
Why sign up for Direct Deposit with UW Whitewater?
Students are encouraged to set up direct deposit (e-refunding) to have overpayments and excess financial aid refunds deposited directly into your bank account (US only).
Benefits of direct deposit:
- No lost or stolen checks
- Don't have to go to your bank
- Funds are available sooner
An overpayment of charges due will result in a credit (negative) balance on the student account.
If a refund balance exists for a prior term within two weeks of a billing due date, the Student Financial Services Office will apply the credit balance to outstanding charges instead of issuing a refund, if applicable.
Refunds (negative balances) are generally processed on Tuesday and Thursdays with some exceptions. In the event of a catastrophic event, students will receive the services for with they have paid unless the University deems compensation is warranted for services not received. Refunds are either deposited electronically into the student's bank account or mailed by check.
For a quicker initial refund, sign up for direct deposit (e-Refunding) to receive your money electronically deposited into the bank account of your choice. To sign up for e-Refunding, follow the e-Refunding instructions [PDF]. Once you have set up your refund/payment profile, refunds will be deposited in approximately 2-3 business days after being posted to your student account in WINS. The processing time varies by financial institution. Students will receive an email notification of the refund to their UWW email address. The funds will be available to you as soon as deposited. All future refunds will be direct deposited into the account you set up.
The University can direct deposit to any U.S. financial institution with electronic funds transfer capabilities. Most institutions participate in the electronic funds transfer network. Contact your financial institution if you have any questions about the it's ability to accept direct deposit.
If you do not have a financial account, you can expect your refund to be delayed. Any refunds that cannot be processed electronically will be processed as a paper check and mailed to your local address when school is in session, and to your home address when school is not in session.
Federal regulations require that the University apply your Title IV financial aid funds (Federal loans and grants) to 'allowable charges', which are tuition, mandatory segregated fees, course fees, and housing and meal charges contracted with the University. UW-Whitewater allows many departments to assess charges to your student account in order to consolidate billing. Some of these "non-allowable charges" might include parking permits, bookstore charges, health center services, graduation fees, library fines, activation fees, finance charges and other miscellaneous charges.
To authorize the University permission to use Title IV funds to pay these other charges, click on the Student Financial Account tile in WINS, click on the Student Permissions tile, click on TITLEIV_MS, and follow the prompts to complete the process. You will receive a confirmation you can print out, if needed. For future Title IV aid disbursements, your aid should automatically pay eligible charges.
Finance charges and pay plan activation fees are unable to be paid with Title IV funds, even with authorization. Students will need to cover these fees with other funds or non-federal aid.
If available, Title IV financial aid will be disbursed on or prior to the first day of classes. Title IV financial aid will be used to pay the remaining balance on students' accounts before refunds will be issued, if the student has given authorization to the University.
Remaining charges are your responsibility to pay by the due date on your billing statement. If left unpaid, a delay in refunding excess aid will occur, and it could lead to a past due balance and an assessment of finance charges. Past due balances will place you at risk of having your classes cancelled for non-payment. During the term any excess aid will be used to pay allowable charges in the same billing cycle.
If you do not have a bank account, you can expect your refund to be delayed. Any refunds that cannot be processed electronically will be processed as a paper check and mailed to your local address when school is in session, and to your home address when school is not in session.
UW Whitewater will apply Title IV Parent PLUS loan funds to 'allowable charges', which are tuition, mandatory segregated fees, course fees, and housing and meal charges contracted with the University. If any loan funds remain, UW Whitewater will refund the remaining to the parent to help pay other education expenses. The parent may authorize the school to pay the remaining loan funds directly to the student. For more information on Title IV Parent PLUS loans contact UW Whitewater Financial Aid Office at uwwfao@uww.edu.