Refunds for Financial Aid

Financial aid refunds are paid when you receive more financial aid than the direct costs on your university bill. Refunds show as a negative balance on your account before they are processed. Refunds are processed during the first week of classes each semester.

Timing of Refunds

  • Refunds begin showing on your MyCharlotte student account 7 business days prior to the first day of classes each semester.
  • Your refund will be processed during the first week of classes.
  • You can confirm that your refund has been processed by viewing your Account Activity. There will be a line item posted that reads “Refund,” as well as the date and amount.
  • Direct deposit is the fastest and most secure way to receive your refund. By electing this option, your refund will be directly deposited into your checking or savings account, which is significantly faster than waiting for a check to arrive in the mail.
  • If you have direct deposit, you will receive your refund 2 to 5 business days from the date the refund was posted to your student account.
  • If you don’t have direct deposit, a paper check will be mailed to your local mailing address. Please allow 1 to 2 weeks from the date the refund was posted to your student account.
  • If the refund is due to a Parent PLUS Loan, the money will be processed based on how it was indicated on the application (either applied to the student account or a check mailed to the parent).

Negative Account Balances

  • A negative balance means you received more financial aid for the semester than the charges shown on your student account, and you will be receiving a refund.
  • Students may use their refund money to cover school-related expenses. If additional charges are added to a student’s account, refund money can and should be used towards these charges.

Refunds for Overpayment

  • If you accidentally paid more than you owe, you will receive a refund for overpayment.
  • Credit balance refunds due to Flywire/personal payments will be issued starting 4-7 business days before classes begin.
  • After the add/drop period, these refunds are processed weekly.
  • If you are enrolled in direct deposit, you will receive your refund 2 to 5 days from the date the refund was posted to your student account. If you are not enrolled in direct deposit, a paper check will be mailed to your local mailing address. Please allow 1 to 2 weeks from the date the refund was posted to your student account.
  • Payment directed to UNC Charlotte should be rendered for the amount due based upon a University bill, or the expected amount of tuition and on-campus housing/dining charges. If a personal payment is received in excess of the amount billed, the excess will be placed on deposit for an upcoming semester. If a student would like payment to be returned via the original method of payment to the originator of the payment, they should contact the Bursar’s Office.
  • The University reserves the right to refuse payments that substantially exceed the balance on the student’s account.
  • If you are an international student and you made your payment through Flywire, any overpayments will be refunded through Flywire.

Title IV Authorization for Financial Aid

  • If a student is receiving financial aid, the university highly encourages the completion of the Titile IV Authorization to allow non-institutional charges (such as the health insurance premium) to be paid with financial aid awards.

Note: Please be cautious of phishing scams that try to change your account information/refund destination. At UNC Charlotte, any changes to banking information requires a second identification factor (i.e., text message code).