Receiving your Aid (Disbursement)
What is Disbursement?
Disbursement is the process of having your financial aid (federal grants, state grants and student loans) pay for your Western tuition and fees. Once payment of your fees has been made, your remaining award funds (if applicable) will be directly deposited (eRefunds) into your checking or savings account. If financial aid does not completely cover your balance due, the Cashier's Office will send you an updated bill to your email or address on file.
If you do not have eRefunds, your remaining financial aid will be mailed in the form of a check to your address on file with the Registrar's office. Keep your address current with Records and Registration.
Once Financial Aid has been credited to your student account, please allow any refund amount 3-10 days (from the date posted to your student account) to be direct deposited or mailed in a check. Checks are not available for in-person pickup.
Sign Up for eRefund (direct deposit)
If you would like to receive your financial aid and other refunds from Western via direct deposit instead of waiting for your check to arrive in the mail, please set up your eRefund profile on the MyWestern portal. Setting up Student Electronic Refund Instructions
Preparing for your Financial Aid Disbursement
- You must be in an eligible Program with Admissions
- If you are interested in receiving a student loan please visit the Student Loan Center for additional information
- Upon notice, view your awards via the MyWestern Portal. If you were awarded student loans or college work-study, you must actively Accept, Decline, or Reduce the amounts you were awarded. For assistance with this process, please review the steps to accept/decline/reduce financial aid awards PDF
Causes for Delay of Disbursement
To prevent a possible delay in your disbursement you will want to ensure that you don't have any of the following circumstances:
- Satisfactory Academic Progress - You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards to receive financial aid.
- Academic Suspension - You are not eligible for financial aid if you are suspended for academic reasons
- Resources Not Yet Available - Some awards, such as a Parent PLUS Loan, may require processing time before funds are available to you. Make sure that you apply for such funds with time to allow processing or make other arrangements to pay your tuition, fees and/or books.
- Keep Your Address Current by Updating Your MyWestern portal.(checks will not be forwarded by the Post Office)
- Holds - A No Refunds Hold will not allow any refund to disburse via eRefund or paper check. To View Your Holds, please log into your MyWestern portal.
- Certificate Programs are not eligible for Financial Aid (grants/student loans) - Refer to the Student Loan Center for possible funding options.
Enrollment Status
Your enrollment status will be reviewed prior to the first disbursement and your awards will be adjusted accordingly. If your enrollment status has changed as of the 10th day of the Semester at 4:00 p.m. (Date of Record) your Financial Aid Award Package will be Readjusted and Locked In based on your enrollment status as of this date. (After the Date of Record your aid package may be adjusted if classes are cancelled or if you drop a class that has not started.) You may owe a Repayment.
2011-2012 Dates of Record - 4:00 pm
- Summer 2012 Semester - June 15, 2012
2012-2013 Dates of Record - 4:00 pm
- Fall Semester - September 4, 2012
- Spring Semester - January 25, 2013
- Summer Semester - June 14, 2013
Repeated Classes
If you retake a course for which you earned a C or better, contact the Financial aid Manager to determine if you are able to receive aid for this course again.
Auditing Courses
If you are enrolled to Audit a course you will not be eligible to receive aid for that course.
Developmental Coursework
If referred by a counselor, developmental coursework may be added to a student's credit load for financial aid purposes if the student maintains at least six regular college credits. Dropping or being dropped from a credit course (s) MAY require repayments of ALL or a portion of financial aid.
Note: You are not eligible to receive Financial Aid if you do not attend classes!
Some Common Questions
When does disbursement take place?
Students should start receiving their refunds (money left over from financial aid once all Western charges are paid) sometime the first week of classes, and are processed weekly thereafter as students' files are completed.
When can I expect to receive my remaining financial aid award funds?
Once Financial Aid has been credited to your student account, please allow any refund amount 3-10 days (from the date posted to your student account) to be direct deposited or mailed in a check. Checks are not available for in-person pickup.
How do I pay for my books and supplies?
It is a student's responsibility to purchase books and supplies. Books and supplies are not able to be charged to your student account to be taken out later by your financial aid disbursements.
Can I receive financial aid from more than one school during a semester?
No! You may only receive financial aid from one school at a time. If you wish to attend more than one school within a semester, you may be eligible to participate in a Consortium Agreement with another school if the classes you are taking will transfer into your program here at Western. (If you will be receiving your degree from another school please contact their Financial Aid Office for additional information.) Contact Financial Aid for additional information at 608.785.9579 or finaid@westerntc.edu.
What if I receive additional funding after my aid has been disbursed?
Your financial aid award package will be adjusted to include the additional funding. If your additional funding affects your existing award package, we may need to make adjustments which may require you to owe back funds that have already disbursed. You are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office of any outside funding (Americorp, DVR, scholarships, etc.) paid directly to you.
What if I am considering dropping one or more classes?
If you are considering adjusting your enrollment status (dropping or adding classes) please refer to Repayment of Aid for possible changes in your financial aid award package. You will also want to refer to Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain eligibility for financial aid.
