Disbursement

Financial aid disbursement is how you receive your financial aid to pay your school bill. Once your registration and financial aid application are complete, your financial aid can be paid to your PSU student account.

Once your financial aid is disbursed, PSU pays your bill with your financial aid. Any remaining funds are sent to you as a refund. If your financial aid does not pay your full bill, PSU will send an adjusted bill. You have the option to set up a payment plan or pay your bill in full. Set up a process to receive your refund.

Disbursement Schedule

The Financial Aid Office begins disbursement to eligible students 10 days before the official beginning of each term. Below are financial aid disbursement dates. Allow 3-5 business days from the date financial aid is disbursed for any financial aid refund to be processed and sent to you. You must meet and maintain eligibility for the entire term. If you do not meet all requirements, some or all of your aid could be canceled.

Students who have courses that start after the first week of the term and have different start dates within the term will receive their disbursement approximately 10 days before the start date of the first course.  

2024-2025 Academic Year Financial Aid Disbursement Dates

Disbursement Policy

The Financial Aid Office uses the following disbursement policy for student financial aid every term. Financial aid awards will not pay for students whose PSU enrollment does not match the enrollment at which they were awarded. Your enrollment level (such as full time) must match the enrollment level for which your financial award has been calculated; otherwise, aid will not be disbursed. See the table below. If your enrollment level is incorrect, you can revise your financial aid enrollment plan.

Number of Credits Required for Enrollment Level by Student Type

These requirements apply to all terms, including summer.

1. Aid disbursement begins 10 calendar days before the start of each term for students whose registration matches their award and who have met all other aid eligibility requirements. Students who have courses that start after the first week of the term and have different start dates within the term will receive their disbursement approximately 10 days before the start date of the first course.  
2. Initial financial aid awards are based on full-time enrollment unless a revised enrollment plan is submitted by the student.
3. Financial aid for the term will be adjusted to reflect the student's official enrolled credits as of the census date. The census date is at the end of the second week of each term. That is, if the student received aid at the beginning of the term that was calculated for full-time enrollment, or the student was enrolled full time and then dropped credits, aid will be revised to match their eligibility based on the number of credits enrolled as of the census date. This census date is used for all terms, including summer session. 
4. When a reduction in aid is required due to a student's official enrollment level on the census date, the reduction may create a balance due on the student's PSU account. If there is a tuition refund because of dropping credits, the tuition refund will be used to reduce the balance due on the student's account.
5. Students applying to borrow a federal student loan must be enrolled in a minimum of half-time credit hours, have demonstrated need and/or eligible costs to receive a disbursement from federal student loan programs.
6. Students who have received a disbursement of a federal student loan and then reduce enrollment below half-time will be required to complete federal student loan exit counseling as outlined in the federal student loan master promissory note. PSU’s Office of the Registrar will report your enrollment status to the federal student loan servicer which will result in the loss of in school deferment status. All prior federal student loans for a borrower who does not qualify for in school deferment will enter the grace period or repayment if a grace period was previously used.
7. Students who regain eligibility to borrow from a federal student loan program by increasing enrollment after the census date for any term must notify the Office of Student Financial Aid by submitting a revision request with the updated enrollment plan and request a reinstatement of their federal student loan.
8. Retroactive aid (aid for a term that has ended prior to disbursement) must be disbursed based on completed grades/credits, or census date registration, whichever is LESS. This includes retroactive grants and loans. Grades considered complete are A, B, C, D, P, I or IP.
9. The award amounts for federal grants, state grants, and institutional funds will be based on the student’s level of eligibility at the census date based on their registration at that point in time. Adding credits after the census date cannot be used to increase a student’s eligibility for federal or state grants. However, a student can submit a census date appeal form to request an increase in their existing institutional awards, if applicable.
10. If a student is not eligible for federal Pell Grant funding as of the census date but becomes eligible after the census date, then their Pell Grant award amount will be based on their registration at the point in time when the initial Pell Grant is calculated, rather than the census date.

Summer Term: Summer term has multiple sessions within the term. Students may take classes that start at various times. The Financial Aid Office will award financial aid based on the credits the student plans to enroll for the entire summer term. Disbursement will occur approximately 10 days prior to the start of the first course.

Minimum Enrollment Requirements by Aid Type for Disbursement

For disbursement to occur, a student’s enrollment must also match the enrollment for which they are awarded.

*The Federal Pell Grant is prorated based on enrollment level. Full-time (12+ credits) receives 100%, 3/4-time (9-11 credits) receives 75%, half-time (6-8 credits) receives 50% and less-than-half-time (1-5 credits) receives 25%. Enrollment at less-than-full-time may result in ineligibility for Pell Grant funds.

Institutional Aid Enrollment Requirements

Most institutional aid, which includes the Resident Opportunity Scholarship, the Out-of-State Opportunity Scholarship, the PSU Access Grant, the International Achievement Scholarship, and departmental tuition remissions and scholarships, require full-time enrollment as of the census date. Oregon Supplemental Tuition Grants require at least half-time enrollment; amounts are prorated for less than full-time enrollment. Tuition remissions cannot exceed the amount of your tuition charges.

If your institutional aid was canceled due to your enrollment level, but you added courses before the census date that did not appear in your registration records due to a processing delay, you can submit an appeal to request that your institutional aid be reinstated. Appeals must contain supporting documentation and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Disbursement of Grant and Institutional Funds After a Terms Ends

To receive grant or institutional funds after a term ends, you must successfully complete credits for the previous term(s). The amount of the disbursement will be based on how many credits were completed for which you received a passing, incomplete, or IP grade for the applicable term. Most grants require at least half-time enrollment, some require full time enrollment.

Disbursement of Loans After a Terms Ends

To receive loan funds after a term ends, you must successfully complete a minimum of half-time credits for the previous term(s). If the loan period included both the prior term and the current term, you must also be enrolled for a minimum of half-time in the current term to be eligible for loan disbursement. If you are receiving a loan for only one term, you must have been offered and accepted the financial aid award before the end of that term. Federal regulations mandate that a loan for a term that has already ended can be certified only if the student is currently enrolled at least half time and there has been no gap in enrollment.