Disbursements

Aid will start to disburse after the drop/add week is over. Refer to the disbursement schedule for estimated dates. Aid is always applied to a student's account as a credit and is used to pay the school charges first. If there is excess aid after the school has been paid it will be refunded to the student. 

Students who did not have an award package offered to them, submit all required documentation, or accept all aid by the end of add/drop may have their disbursements delayed beyond the dates indicated below.  

Anticipated Time of Disbursement Type of Aid Prevent Delays
Early-mid September
  • Direct Grad PLUS
  • Direct Parent PLUS Loan
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loan (Graduate Students)
  • Private Loan

Note: Subsequent disbursements for all Direct loans will be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays 
  • Accept loans
  • Enroll in at least 6 degree required credit hours (federal loans; enrollment requirement for private loans vary by lender)
  • Confirm MPN and Entrance Counseling requirements are completed
Mid-September
  • Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans (undergraduate)

Note: Subsequent disbursements for all Direct loans will be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays 
  • Accept loans
  • Enroll in at least 6 degree required credit hours (federal loans; enrollment requirement for private loans vary by lender)
  • Confirm MPN and Entrance Counseling requirements are completed
Late-September
  • Merit Scholarships: Presidential, Provost, Erie County Student, International and Transfer
  • Music Department Scholarships
  • Muriel A. Howard Honors Program, Ross B. Kenzie Family Scholarship
  • Dorothy Sweet Scholarship
  • CAPS scholarships &Third Party Scholarships and awards
  • Must be enrolled 12+ credit hours
  • Must have achieved minimum cumulative GPA in the previous semester
  • CAPS Scholarship recipients can check the requirements of their scholarship in the CAPS Scholarship Portal
  • Recipients of external scholarships should confirm their eligibility with the organization awarding the scholarship
Early-October
  • Federal TEACH Program
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Supplemental Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Agreement to Serve and Counseling completed
  • Must be enrolled in degree-required coursework.
Mid-late October
  • New York State TAP

  • SUNY Tuition Credit (SUNYTC)

  • Graduate EOP Tuition Scholarship
  • Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarship
  • Graduate Diversity Fellowship
  • TAP Application must be completed
  • Buffalo State must be listed on the application
  • Must be enrolled in 12+ degree-required credit hours

  • Note that students are given credit for TAP before it is applied to their account; this expedites students' refunds

  • Submit required documents for assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships, as required by the Graduate school.
Late October
  • 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.
Early November
  • Aid for Part Time Study
  • APTS Application must be submitted by late-October to determine eligibility.
Late December
  • New York State Excelsior Scholarship
  • Excelsior Application must have been completed
  • Must enroll in 12+ credits and be on track for on-time graduation.

Students who did not have an award package offered to them, submit all required documentation, or accept all aid by the end of add/drop may have their disbursements delayed beyond the dates indicated below. 

Anticipated Time of Disbursement Type of Aid Prevent Delays
Early-mid February
  • Grad PLUS
  • Parent PLUS Loan
  • Unsubsidized Loan (Graduate Students)
  • Private Loan
  • Accept loans
  • Enroll in at least 6 degree required credit hours (federal loans; enrollment requirement for private loans vary by lender)
  • Confirm MPN and Entrance Counseling requirements are completed
Mid-February
  • Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized loans (undergraduate)

Note: Subsequent disbursements for all Direct loans will be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays 
  • Accept loans
  • Enroll in at least 6 degree required credit hours (federal loans; enrollment requirement for private loans vary by lender)
  • Confirm MPN and Entrance Counseling requirements are completed
Late-February
  • Merit Scholarships: Presidential, Provost, Erie County Student, International and Transfer
  • Music Department Scholarships
  • Muriel A. Howard Honors Program, Ross B. Kenzie Family Scholarship

  • Dorothy Sweet Scholarship

  • CAPS scholarships &Third Party Scholarships and awards
  • Must be enrolled 12+ credit hours

  • Must have achieved minimum cumulative GPA in the previous semester

  • CAPS Scholarship recipients can check the requirements of their scholarship in the CAPS Scholarship Portal
  • Recipients of external scholarships should confirm their eligibility with the organization awarding the scholarship
Early-March

  • Federal TEACH Program

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Supplemental Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

  • Agreement to Serve and Counseling completed

  • Must be enrolled in degree-required coursework.
Mid-late March
  • Graduate EOP Tuition Scholarship
  • Graduate Assistantship Tuition Scholarship

  • Graduate Diversity Fellowship

  • New York State TAP
  • SUNY Tuition Credit (SUNYTC)

  • Submit required documents for assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships, as required by the Graduate school.

  • TAP Application must be completed
  • Buffalo State must be listed on the application
  • Must be enrolled in 12+ degree-required credit hours
  • Note that students are given credit for TAP before it is applied to their account; this expedites students' refunds
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.
Early-March
  • Aid for 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. Must have completed 30+ credit hours during the academic year.

Textbook Deferments

Textbook deferments enable students that are expecting a refund from their financial aid to use up to $1000 of the refund in the university bookstore. Therefore, to be eligible, a student must have more financial aid and/or payments on their account than they have charges. 

The textbook deferment can be used to purchase new or used textbooks in the university bookstore. Funds from this deferment can also be used toward NFTA MetGo card purchases and reloads. 

A student may only apply for one textbook deferment per semester. Therefore, before submitting the request, the student should ensure that all tasks are completed to be considered for their highest textbook deferment (up to $1000). 

The Textbook Deferment link can be accessed in the Student, Student Accounts, or Financial Aid sections in self-service Banner. Only students with a credit balance (excess financial aid and/or payments) will have the option displayed to request a Textbook Deferment. A student may only apply for one Textbook Deferment per semester. Therefore, before submitting the request, the student should ensure that all tasks are completed to maximize your textbook deferment (up to $1,000), and they know the full cost of the books they need to purchase.

A Textbook Deferment will allow you to purchase textbooks at the Barnes & Noble Buffalo State Bookstore only. Funds from this deferment can also be used toward NFTA MetGo card purchases and reloads.

Textbook Deferment requests submitted online by 7:00 p.m.  will be available to use the next business day.

Textbook Deferment requests submitted online after 7:00 p.m. will be available to use in two business days.

Students may also request a textbook deferment in person if preferred by visiting the Financial Aid office or Student Accounts Office in Moot Hall during normal business hours.

To be eligible for a textbook deferment, students must have more financial aid on their account than their semester charges.

Eligible: 

  • Students with an anticipated refund of $1000+, may request the maximum text deferment amount, $1000
  • If you have and anticipated refund of less that $1000, you may request up to the amount of your anticipated refund as a book deferment. If a student believes they should be eligible for more, they should first check the status or their aid to ensure they have maximized their eligibility.

Not Eligible:

  • If a student does not have more in aid than is needed to cover their charges (owe a balance to the university), they are not eligible for a textbook deferment.

To be eligible for a textbook deferment, students must have more aid than is needed to cover their charges. Some potential reasons why you may not have expected aid listed on your bill.

  • FAFSA or State aid applications have not been submitted for the current year or do not have Buffalo State school code
  • Loans have not been accepted. How To Accept Aid in Banner
  • Loans accepted for incorrect amounts. If you have not accepted enough of your loans, you must email the Financial Aid Office at finaid@buffalostate.edu and we can set your loans back to offered so you may accept the correct amount. Remember the amount you accept will be split between the fall and spring semesters.
  • There are outstanding requirements still listed in Banner. How to Check for Outstanding Requirements
  • Student does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
  • Student utilized a Parent PLUS or private loan in the previous academic year but did not apply again for the current year

  • Student is not registered in a sufficient number of credits

    Aid Program Minimum Credits Required
    Federal Pell Grant  1+ degree required credit hour
    Federal Loans 6+ degree required credit hours
    Federal TEACH Grant 1+ degree required credit hours
    New York State TAP 12+ degree required credit hours
    New York State SUNY Tuition Credit 12+ degree required credit hours
    Merit Scholarships 12+ credit hours
    EOP Grant 12+ degree required credit hours

January 6, 2025: Textbook deferment requests open in Banner

February 5, 2025: Textbook Deferment requests close in Banner

February 21, 2025: Final date to use textbook deferments in bookstore. Any funds not used by this date will be refunded to student as aid is applied to account.

You May Also Be Interested In

Apply for Aid
Cost Calculators
Avoiding Obstacles