Sections:   Disbursement Schedule   |   When Will I Get My Refund?    |   Direct Deposit vs. Paper Check  |  

When Will My Aid Disburse?

  
The following chart displays when the various aid types will begin disbursing for the Spring semester. The dates indicated assume the student's financial aid package was finalized and all requirements complete prior to add/drop.  If you expect to receive a refund and have not received it by April 1st please contact the Financial Aid Office so that we may investigate your account.

Aid Awarded or Accepted after the 1st Week of School 


Students that did not have an award package offered to them by the end of add/drop may have their disbursements delayed beyond the dates indicated below.  Students that accept loans after/add drop will not have their loans disbursed for a minimum of 7-10 days after the loan is accepted.

Spring Anticipated Disbursement Dates by Aid Type
Anticipated Date Type of Aid Prevent Delays
Beginning
mid-February
  • PLUS (Parent and Grad) Loans1
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans (Graduate Students)1
  • Private Alternative Loans

Note: Subsequent disbursements for all loan types will be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

1 The Department of Education will send a Disclosure Statement to the borrower's email address and it will contain an approximate disbursement date.

  • Loans must be accepted.
  • Must be enrolled in 6 credit hours of required coursework (federal loans only; alternative loans vary)
  • Direct Loan MPN must be completed for all PLUS loans.
  • Graduate PLUS loans require separate counseling.
Beginning
mid-February
  • Undergraduate Direct Loans (sub/unsub) 1

Note: Subsequent disbursements for all loan types will be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

1 The Department of Education will send a Disclosure Statement to the borrower's email address and it will contain an approximate disbursement date.

  • Loans must be accepted.
  • Must be enrolled in 6 credit hours of required coursework.
  • MPN and Entrance Counseling must be completed.
Beginning
late-February
  • Merit Scholarships: Presidential, Provost, Erie County Student, International, and Transfer
  • Music Department Scholarships (freshmen or continuing students)
  • Must be 12 credits
  • Must have achieved minimum cumulative gpa in previous semester
Beginning
early-March
  • Federal TEACH Grants
  • Agreement to Serve and Counseling completed
Beginning
early-March
  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Must be enrolled in required coursework.
Beginning
early-March
  • Supplemental Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Must be enrolled in required coursework.
Beginning
mid-March
  • CAPS scholarships & Third Party Scholarships and awards
Beginning
mid to late-March
  • Graduate EOP Tuition Scholarship
  • Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarship
  • Graduate Diversity Fellowship
Beginning
mid to late-March
  • New York State TAP
  • Note that students are given credit for TAP before it is applied to their account; this expedites students' refunds
  • TAP Application must be completed
  • Buffalo State must be listed on the application
  • Must be 12 credits
Beginning
mid to late-March
  • SUNY Tuition Credit (SUNYTC)
  • TAP application must be completed; must be full-time
Beginning
late-March
  • Muriel A. Howard Honors Program
  • Ross B. Kenzie Family Scholarship
  • Dorothy Sweet Scholarship
  • Must be 12 credits
  • Must have achieved minimum cumulative gpa in previous semester
Beginning
late-March
  • Say Yes to Education (all chapters)
    • Subsequent disbursements will be sent on a monthly basis
  • All outstanding requirements must be completed before Say Yes will release funds.
  • Students must notify Say Yes which school they will attend by the deadline provided by Say Yes.
Beginning
early-May
  • Aid of Part-Time study
  • APTS Application must be submitted by late-February to determine eligibility.
late-May
  • New York State Excelsior Scholarship
  • Excelsior Application must have been completed
  • Must enroll in 12+ credits and be on track for on-time graduation.


When will I get my refund?  top

All financial aid disbursements and payments received by the collage are first used to pay for tuition, fees, room, board and any other charges on the student's bill. Only after the bill is paid in full, will a student will receive a refund.  Since not all financial aid is disbursed at the same time and students have different charges, students will receive refunds at different points throughout the semester.  The following two examples illustrate this point.

Example #1: Student that lives on-campus



Michelle completed all aid/loan requirements in advance of the spring semester.  She is a freshman that lives on-campus.  Including her book deferment, her charges for the fall semester are $9,422.  To determine when Michelle will receive her refund, she needs to subtract each financial aid award from her total charges of $9,422 in the order in which they will be received by the college.  Below shows how her charges decrease with each payment of her financial aid. 

For example, her total charges started at $9,422 but after her TAP award is applied she owes: $9,422 - $2,500 = $6,922.  Once her subsidized loan is applied to her charges, her remaining balance is $6,922 - $1,723 = $5,199 and so on.  Once her SUNY Tuition Credit disburses, her bill becomes paid in full and she is due a refund of $209 because her account is negative.  Michelle can expect to receive her refund in late March/early April.

Aid Disbursement Date Amount Remaining Amount
Owed to College
Semester Charges/Total Owed ---- --- $9,422
- TAP Grant Considered paid $2,500 $6,922
- Federal Subsidized Loan early to mid-February $1,723 $5,199
- Federal Unsubsidized Loan early to mid-February $990 $4,209
- Federal Pell Grant beginning of March $2,823 $1,386
- SEOG beginning of March $100 $1,286
- Scholarship from High School beginning of March $1,000 $286
- SUNY Tuition Credit end of March $495 -$209
REFUND ISSUED end of March $209 $0



Example #2: Student lives off-campus

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Tom is a full-time student for the spring semester and is living off-campus.  In total, Tom's bill is $3,511.  To determine when he will receive his refund, he subtracts each financial aid award from his total charges of $3,511 in the order in which they will be received by the college.  Below shows how his charges decrease with each payment of his financial aid.  Tom can expect to receive two (2) refunds.  He will receive the bulk of his refund in mid-February when his loans disburse and then, after the SUNY Tuition Credit disburses, that will be refunded entirely to him.

Aid Disbursement Date Amount Remaining Amount
Owed to College
Semester Charges/Total Owed ---- --- $3,511
- TAP Grant Considered paid $250 $3,261
- Federal Subsidized Loan early to mid-February $2,708 $553
- Federal Unsubsidized Loan early to mid-February $990 -$437
REFUND #1 ISSUED mid-February $437 $0
- SUNY Tuition Credit end of March $40 -$40
REFUND #2 ISSUED end of Feb./early Mar. $40 $0



Direct Deposit vs. Paper Refund Check 

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Direct Deposit
Direct Deposit is quick and easy. Simply provide bank account information and the funds will be deposited directly into the account. If you don’t have a bank account, the funds can also be deposited to a reloadable debit card.
For Direct Deposit/Reloadable Debit Card Registration:
Paper Refund Checks are mailed to students' permanent address if direct deposit is not set up.  Paper refund checks take about 7-10 business days to arrive in the student's mailbox.  Students are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit to expedite this process.