Disbursement Policies and Procedures
Your financial aid will be used to pay your tuition and fees at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu for the semester that your award indicates. Available aid will begin paying these charges approximately 10 days before the start of the semester, provided that you have completed all the necessary requirements and are registered for the enrollment level your aid was awarded on. If your aid is greater than tuition and fees, a residual check will be mailed to you within 14 days by the Central Bursars Office. If your aid does not cover the cost of tuition and fees, you are required to pay the difference.
Classes will be held even if aid becomes unavailable or does not pay all tuition and fees. If you decide not to attend classes, you must officially withdraw from the university, prior to the start of the semester.
Your financial aid from University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu will not pay down charges at another campus. If you are taking classes at other campuses, make sure to pay your charges at each campus and complete the Concurrent Enrollment Request form to have the Financial Aid Office consider your enrollment at another UH campus for your financial aid disbursement.
Our office will evaluate your official enrollment status for financial aid purposes at Census. Before Census, your awards may fluctuate in accordance with the number of credit hours you are registered for. Dropping courses after your aid has been disbursed, may result in a balance owing to the Cashier’s Office. Once Census arrives, your aid will be based on your enrollment at UHWO as of that date and will no longer fluctuate when enrollment changes occur. If your enrollment changes after the census date (e.g, withdrawal from a course), you may jeopardize your continuing financial aid eligibility, due to not meeting satisfactory academic progress.
CENSUS DATE:
|
UHWO offers weekend courses. These courses traditionally start later than when the semester starts (example: weekend courses may start in August, October, November, January, March, or April). Students who are registered for courses that start after the beginning of the semester (August and January) must notify the financial aid office immediately to see if there will be a delay in your financial aid. By notifying the Financial Aid Office we may be able to adjust your awards to avoid a delay in disbursement or an overaward of aid.
Direct Stafford/Parent PLUS Loan Recipients
If you have completed all of the required loan paperwork (e.g. Direct Loan or PLUS Loan Request Form. Loan Entrance Interview and Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note), your loan disbursements will be electronically disbursed to your student account no earlier than 10 days prior to the start of the semester, provided you are registered for the enrollment level you were awarded on. A notice will be mailed to you when your loan funds have been credited to your student account. Any residual amounts will be mailed to you within 14 days by the Central Bursar Office or directly deposited into your personal bank account if you had signed up for “eRefunds”.
- Per federal regulations, all first time/first year freshman Stafford loan borrowers’ funds will be disbursed, at the earliest, 30 days after the first day of classes.
- If your Stafford loan is awarded for only one semester, your funds will be disbursed in two disbursements. The first half of your loan funds will be disbursed no earlier than 10 days prior to the start of the term and the second half at the mid-point of the semester.