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Administration & Finance Division
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Disbursement of Financial Aid Funds

FINANCIAL AID TRANSACTIONS:
Financial aid transactions are recorded on your student account as credits, just like a payment. Any pre-existing unpaid charges are paid by your aid. Any remaining aid will show as a credit balance. A financial aid disbursement, which is a refund to you of your remaining financial aid, is then generated and delivered to you, either by direct deposit, if you have signed up for direct deposit (view your direct deposit information using the Money Matters tab from the portal) , or by check. Cal Poly will attempt to notify you - via email - when your funds have been disbursed.

    A FEDERAL REGULATION CHANGE IN PARENT (PLUS) LOAN DISBURSEMENT PROCESSING:

    As of the 2006/2007 school year, federal regulation requires Cal Poly to obtain the parent's written authorization for excess Parent PLUS loan funds to be disbursed to the student (via direct deposit or check). In the absence of the parent's written authorization, excess Parent PLUS loan funds will be mailed to the parent each quarter - using the mailing address provided on the Parent PLUS loan application. Please use one of the following options to expedite the Parent PLUS loan disbursement:

    • Parents who want the excess Parent PLUS loan funds to go to the student each quarter should download, complete and fax the Authorization Form to the Student Accounts Office: fax (805) 756-2774.
    • Parents who want the excess Parent PLUS loan funds to be mailed back to them each quarter (sorry, direct deposit is not available for these types of transactions) to an address that is different than the mailing address provided on the Parent PLUS loan application should contact the Cal Poly Student Accounts Office with their change of mailing address.

DIRECT DEPOSIT DISBURSEMENT:
If you have signed up for direct deposit service, then whenever left-over financial aid funds need to be disbursed to you, they are delivered electronically to your bank by direct deposit . An email notice is sent to you telling you to view the Direct Deposit transaction on your student account transactions channel on
my.calpoly. The actual funds should be in your bank account and ready to spend approximately 2 business days after the date of the transaction on your student account.

BEGINNING OF THE TERM DIRECT DEPOSIT DISBURSEMENT:
Direct deposit of aid for a new term is generally in your bank account by the Friday before the first day of class, providing all requirements have been met for disbursement. The minimum unit requirement for direct deposit generation during add/drop is 7 units. After add/drop, it is 6 units. (If you have left-over financial aid funds on your account and you are enrolled in less than the minimum required units but still eligible to receive your aid, you will need to contact Student Accounts and request that your refund be 'forced'.)

***DIRECT DEPOSIT IS THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENTS. SIGN UP NOW!***

FINANCIAL AID CHECK:
If you are NOT set up for direct deposit, a financial aid check will be generated whenever left-over financial aid funds need to be disbursed to you. An email will be sent to you advising you to look at the Financial Aid Check transaction on your student account transactions channel on my.calpoly. You should receive a check at your mailing address a few days after that transaction's date, depending on mailing time.

BEGINNING OF THE TERM CHECK DISBURSEMENT:
Y
our financial aid check for a new term will be mailed to your mailing address, as noted on the portal, approximately 4 days before the first day of classes, assuming all disbursement requirements** have been met, . When you actually receive the check depends on the postal system.

**The minimum unit requirement for check generation during add/drop is 7 units. After add/drop, it is 6 units. (If you have left-over financial aid funds on your account and you are enrolled in less than the minimum required units but still eligible to receive your aid, you will need to contact Student Accounts and request that your refund be 'forced'.)

IF YOUR CHECK IS "LOST IN THE MAIL" OR MISPLACED OR DESTROYED, you must report the loss to the Student Accounts Office. Getting a replacement check takes approximately 2 weeks.


***DIRECT DEPOSIT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. HOWEVER, IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE YOUR FINANCIAL AID FUNDS MAILED INSTEAD, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP YOUR MAILING ADDRESS UPDATED ON my.calpoly!!!***

EXCEPTIONS:

Some types of financial aid cannot be deposited into a student's Cal Poly account. This type of aid will need to be picked up at the Student Accounts Office window during regular disbursement hours. Examples are student loan disbursements from non-eft lenders.

There are also financial aid funds that WILL appear on your student account, but cannot be direct deposited. Please read the following for more information:

  • EMERGENCY LOANS:
    Because there is a Promissory Note that needs to be signed by the student before the funds can be disbursed, the student is required to pick up the Emergency Loan funds in person.
  • STAFFORD LOANS FROM NON-EFT LENDERS:
    Non-EFT loan lenders send paper checks to the campus by mail. The student is informed by their loan lender (by mail) of the approximate disbursement date. Upon arrival, these checks cannot be direct deposited and must be picked up at the Student Accounts Office during check disbursement hours. Students receiving loans from non-EFT lenders will be notified by the Student Accounts Office by email when their checks are ready for them. NOTE: Students should use the date given by the lender as "approximate" only.
  • OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS:
    The following off-campus programs require us to send the financial aid disbursement by check directly to the program's coordinator: Intrasystem Visitor; National Student Exchange (NSE) - Outgoing Plan B; and Intrasystem Concurrent. The respective coordinator will then disburse the check to the student, per program guidelines. Financial Aid students participating in one of the aforementioned programs must download, complete, and submit a Transmittal of Funds request form to the Student Accounts Office.
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