Most financial aid programs are disbursed to your student account in the Student Business Services office. They will apply the funds to pay UNT Dallas charges first (tuition and fees). After those charges are paid, any remaining funds will be sent to you in the form of a credit balance (refund).
We begin disbursing financial aid ten days prior to the start of a term for fall and spring. Disbursement of summer aid will begin on the first day of classes. The disbursement of your financial aid could be delayed due to one of the following reasons:
- Not being registered for the number of credit hours for which your aid was awarded
- Not meeting financial aid satisfactory academic progress
- Having an outstanding item on your To Do List
You can check to see if your financial aid has been disbursed in the myUNTD portal.
If you need your anticipated refund of financial aid funds to pay for books and supplies, it is possible to obtain a book voucher from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships starting on the first day of class. Students that are Pell eligible and have not received a refund will be serviced first for the first five days of class. Students that are not Pell eligible or have not been awarded can receive a book voucher starting the sixth day of class.
If you are on warning or probation with the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships regarding your academic progress, the disbursement of your financial aid will be delayed until your grades from the previous term have been evaluated.
The financial aid award notice we send you contains information regarding your anticipated enrollment. It indicates if the financial aid awarded is based on your enrollment as a full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time student. If your actual enrollment is different from how your financial aid was awarded, the funds will not be released to Student Business Services. You can review the award notice we sent your myUNTD portal. You can request that we adjust your aid for your planned enrollment by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
You need to be enrolled at UNT Dallas in at least 6 hours as an undergraduate student and 5 hours as a graduate student for most institutional and state grants and loans to be disbursed. If you are enrolled in less than 6 hours you may still be eligible to receive the Pell grant.
Your financial aid award is based on your enrollment in classes at UNT Dallas. If you are registered for classes at another institution, these classes do not apply to your financial aid eligibility at UNT Dallas unless you have completed a concurrent enrollment form.
Disbursement of Financial Aid Funds
- For your awards to disburse, your awards must be “accepted” on myUNTD.
- You can also adjust the amount of awards so as to accept a lesser amount, or you can “decline” awards you do not want to receive.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is being monitored at the end of each term. You must be meeting the minimum standards for SAP by the end of any given enrollment period at UNT Dallas in order to maintain financial aid eligibility.
- Disbursement of most financial aid funds to undergraduate students will occur once you establish half-time (6 undergraduate hours or 5 graduate hours) attendance.
- State and institutional grant funds will be disbursed in one disbursement on the 1st class day of the session in which you establish half-time attendance.
- Federal grant payments may be delayed due to required review by the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship staff. These payments are based on your annual limit and on your enrollment status. Please note: some grants have additional requirements and are not guaranteed.
- Loan funds will be disbursed in one disbursement on the 1st class day of the session in which you establish half-time attendance. You must have completed Entrance Counseling requirements and have a signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file with the U.S. Department of Education before funds will disburse. Click here to complete Entrance Counseling or a MPN.
- If you have been awarded your maximum Subsidized/Unsubsidized Direct Loans eligibility during the Fall/Spring terms, you will not be eligible for loan funds during the following Summer.
Why Your Financial Aid Hasn’t Disbursed
Several factors may prevent your aid from being disbursed. Some examples are:
- Failure to register for sufficient hours: Please revisit your award descriptions online through your MyUNTD portal and review your scholarship award letter
- Failure to establish attendance: Payment of financial aid funds to students during the summer will occur once they establish half-time attendance. Payment for Pell Grant funds will not disburse until the student has started their last class for the summer semester.
- Owing a balance to UNT Dallas
- Missing documents: Check your To Do List in your myUNTD portal for a list of missing documents or forms such as a final high school transcript to the Office of Admissions.
- Unanswered requests for action: Students who have accepted loans are required to complete an online Entrance Counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note.
- Being awarded through aid programs that require additional time to review: An example of an aid program is the Federal Pell Grant.
- Belonging to a student group in which awards require additional time to review: Example of student groups are undocumented students, Post Baccalaureate students, and transfer students
- Not meeting UNT Dallas’ Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The Refund Process
Student Business Services handles the refund process. You can also check myUNTD to see if you’re receiving a refund and if it’s been processed.
Student Business Services will send out refunds within a week after your aid has been disbursed.
*The refund process may take several days to complete during the first disbursements of a semester. Students who have refunds processed during fall and spring registration periods should expect to see their refund by the last day of regular registration.