Disbursement, Payment, and Refund Process

Disbursement. Financial aid and scholarship awards are used to pay for your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance. Federal aid cannot pay the following charges: Installment Plan, Short Term Loan Origination, Memorial Loan, Late Payment, Default, Excess Hours Tuition, or Repeat Course.

Payment. You, the student, are responsible for paying any tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance your financial aid and scholarship funds did not cover.

Refund. You will receive money back if you or your aid paid more than the amount needed for tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and institutional charges.

The specifics within each step depend on whether you are receiving financial aid and scholarships for the semester. Choose the population below that best describes you to see how and when each step will affect you.

I have financial aid

Disbursement

Financial aid funds will begin disbursing near the start of classes each semester. Scholarships begin disbursing on the first day of class each semester. If your financial aid (including scholarship) funds do not cover the full expense for your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance, you will have to make a payment. If there is money left after your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance is paid in full, you will receive a refund.

Payment

If your financial aid funds do not cover your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance, you are responsible for paying the difference to Student Accounting.

View our Tools & Resources for helpful information on payments and securing your classes.

Refund

If your financial aid funds exceed the cost of your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance, Student Accounting will issue a refund.

I don't have financial aid

Disbursement

If you have not applied for financial aid for the semester, you will not receive a disbursement and are responsible for paying your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance. If you have applied for financial aid, but have not been awarded, you are responsible for paying tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance. You must complete all requests for additional information to complete your financial aid file. Once all requests are satisfied, you will receive a financial aid award letter.

Payment

View our Tools & Resources for helpful information on payments and securing your classes.

Refund

If you do not have financial aid, you will not receive a refund.

I have scholarships

Disbursement

Scholarship funds will begin disbursing to your student account the first day of the semester as long as you are enrolled in the credit hours required to receive your award(s).

Payment

If your scholarship funds do not cover your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance, you are responsible for paying the difference to Student Accounting.

View our Tools & Resources for helpful information on payments and securing your classes.

Refund

If your scholarship funds exceed the cost of your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance, Student Accounting will issue a refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why hasn't my aid disbursed?

There are several requirements you must meet for your aid to disburse. Make sure you do the following:

Accept your awards on MyUNT.
Enroll for the required amount of hours according to your specific financial aid and/or scholarships. You can find your award descriptions at MyUNT, in your scholarship award letter, or by checking this site.
Pay all balances from previous academic years. Your aid will not disburse if you owe a balance equal to or greater than $200.
Complete your To Do List on MyUNT. This will inform you of any missing documents or forms that we need from you, or any actions you must take before your financial aid can be disbursed.
Meet UNT's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements.
Allow additional time for us to review some specific financial aid (Federal Pell Grants) or scholarships (for students belonging to certain student groups such as athletes, Post Baccalaureate students, transfer students, etc.).
If you have accepted a Parent PLUS Loan, you must advise your parent to complete a Parent Loan application.

Why has my financial aid “disappeared”?

Qualifying financial aid awards will show as pending/anticipated until it disburses to Student Accounting. After your aid has disbursed, it will “disappear” as pending/anticipated aid until funds have been officially applied to any tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance owed. This process can take several hours because we have millions of dollars to disburse.

In certain situations, your aid may have been canceled due to a change in your award eligibility.

My aid hasn't disbursed. Will my classes be dropped?

As long as your pending/anticipated aid exceeds the amount of your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance by the published due date, your classes will not be dropped. Any class schedule changes may affect your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance. Monitor your MyUNT closely and take action to secure your classes.

What is pending/anticipated aid?

Pending/anticipated aid includes any financial aid the student has accepted on MyUNT and/or scholarships that the student has been awarded. Pending/anticipated aid does not include College Work-Study or Parent PLUS Loans that have been denied due to adverse credit history by the lender. We recognize pending/anticipated aid as money that will be disbursed and applied to your tuition, fees, and on-campus housing balance for the current academic year. Pending/anticipated aid will not apply to balances owed from a previous academic year.

What if my pending/anticipated aid isn't enough to pay my tuition bill?

If your pending/anticipated aid does not cover your full bill, you will need to make payment arrangements to make sure your classes do not get dropped. You can pay the difference in full out of pocket on MyUNT. If you are unable to pay the full amount owed, you can enroll in an installment plan option by reviewing your holds through MyUNT.

How much does it cost to attend UNT?

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is calculated each award period (fall, spring, and summer). The COA is the maximum financial aid available to assist you with educational expenses each term. Actual costs will vary depending on the number of actual credit hours taken, degree plan, residency, room and board choices, and personal expenses. See College Costs for a more detailed outline and explanation of costs.

Where's my refund?

UNT's Student Accounting facilitates the refund process. Student Accounting' goal is to have refunds processed by the last date of Regular Registration. You can monitor your refund status on MyUNT.

Why did I get a refund if I still owe a balance to UNT?

One of the following could be the reason:

Federal regulations prohibit Title IV/federal financial aid from paying the following charges: Installment Plan, Short Term Loan Origination, emergency assistance programs through Student Money Management Center (ie. Memorial Loan or Bailey Loan), Late Payment, Default, Excess Hours Tuition, or Repeat Course.
Making changes to your class schedule after you received a refund (or had a refund in progress) could result in a new balance owed.
A change to your award eligibility occurred after you received a refund (or had a refund in progress).

Can I use my refund to pay for books?

Yes. If you did not receive a refund, cannot afford to purchase your books out of pocket at this time, or have not completed the financial aid process, you can contact Student Money Management Center to discuss the resources available to help pay for books. UNT does not currently provide students with book vouchers.

Will my spring financial aid pay for my winter session 3W1 courses?

Spring financial aid may pay for both winter and spring charges. The winter 3W1 session is considered part of the spring term. Spring anticipated aid can be used to assist with securing winter session classes until financial aid is able to disburse.

If spring anticipated aid is not enough to cover all charges from the winter session and spring, the student will be responsible for making payment arrangements for the difference. Keep in mind, additional charges from taking winter session courses will reduce any anticipated spring refunds.

When will my financial aid disburse if I take classes during the winter session 3W1?

Spring semester financial aid funds begin disbursing to student accounts near the start of the spring semester. Spring semester scholarship funds begin disbursing to student accounts on the first day of the spring semester.

Will my Spring semester anticipated or pending financial aid be considered for the Winter Session payment deadline?

Yes. Spring anticipated aid can be used to assist with securing Winter Session classes until financial aid is able to disburse. Students with enough anticipated aid posted for Spring to cover their entire balance due for the Winter Session will not be required to make payment. If Spring anticipated aid is not enough to cover all charges from the Winter Session and Spring, the student will be responsible for making payment arrangements for the difference. Keep in mind, additional charges from taking Winter Session courses will reduce any anticipated Spring refunds.