Disbursement Information
Financial aid awarded through the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu, will be used to pay toward the student’s tuition and fees at the University. Available aid will begin paying the student’s UH West Oʻahu charges no sooner than 10 days prior to the start of the semester, provided that the student had completed all necessary requirements and is registered at the enrollment level for which the award offer was based on. If the student’s financial aid is greater than the institutional tuition and fees assessed, the residual aid will be refunded to the student. Refunds are either mailed to the student approximately 2-weeks after the funds have been disbursed to the student’s account or are sent via direct deposit approximately 5-7 business days if the student had signed up for eRefunds through their MyUH services.
When a student receives a financial aid award for the academic year or semester, their registration for the respective semester(s) will be held. In addition, the student’s registration will not be automatically purged/dropped even if any of the following should occur: the financial aid award is not sufficient to cover all tuition and fees posted to the student’s account or aid becomes unavailable (e.g. student becomes ineligible for their aid or a specific fund). When a student registers for courses at UH West Oʻahu, they have acknowledged that they are responsible for payment of the tuition and fees tied to their registration. If the student’s financial aid is not sufficient to cover the cost of their tuition and fees, the student is responsible for the difference. In addition, if the student decides not to attend classes for the semester; the student should officially withdraw from the university prior to the start of the semester so as not to be penalized with any tuition and fees.
Financial Aid awarded through UH West Oʻahu is only applied directly to UH West Oʻahu tuition and fees. If a financial aid recipient decides to concurrently enroll at another UH campus while attending UH West Oʻahu, they are responsible for payment of the charges assessed at each campus. However, the student should complete the Concurrent Enrollment Request Form, if applicable, to have the Financial Aid Office consider the enrollment at the other UH campus for their financial aid disbursement. Only courses applicable and transferable toward the student’s UH West Oʻahu degree program as verified by an advisor will be considered. In addition, the student must maintain a minimum enrollment of 6-credits at UH West Oʻahu.
For financial aid purposes, the Financial Aid Office will consider the student’s enrollment at Census as their official enrollment status. (At UH West Oʻahu, the census date has been determined to be the last day to withdraw from the University during the 50% refund period.) Prior to Census, the student’s financial aid award may fluctuate in accordance with the number of credit hours for which they are enrolled at the institution. Withdrawing from courses after the student’s financial aid has been disbursed, may result in a balance owed on the student’s account. Once Census arrives, the student’s financial aid award will be based on their enrollment at UH West Oʻahu as of that date and will no longer be adjusted should any changes to enrollment occur thereafter. Changes in enrollment after the census date may jeopardize the student’s eligibility for continued financial aid, as the student may no longer be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
NOTE: UH West Oʻahu offers accelerated courses that traditionally begin after the start of the semester. Students who are registered for these courses must notify the Financial Aid Office immediately to see if there may be a delay in the disbursement of their financial aid. By doing so, the Financial Aid Office will be able to adjust the student’s financial aid award to avoid a delay in disbursement or ensure that there is no over-award of aid.
Direct Stafford or Parent Plus Loan Recipients
When the student and/or parent completes all of the applicable loan requirements (e.g. Loan Request Form, Loan Entrance Interview, MPN, etc.), the loan(s) will be disbursed electronically to the student’s school account no earlier than 10 days prior to the start of the semester, provided that the student is registered at the enrollment level for which they were awarded. Any residual amounts will either be refunded to the student by check which will be mailed by the Central Bursar’s Office in approximately two weeks after disbursement or directly deposited to the student’s bank account in approximately 5-7 business days via direct deposit if the student had signed up for “eRefunds.”
- Per federal regulations, all first-time Stafford loan borrowers’ funds are subject to a 30-day delay. As such, their loan funds will be disbursed approximately 30 days after the start of the semester.
- Per federal regulations, federal Stafford loans must be disbursed in two payments within a loan period. If your loan is originated for a single semester (Fall or Spring), the first half of the student’s loan disbursement will occur at the start of the semester and the balance will be disbursed mid-semester. If the student’s loan is originated for the academic year (Fall and Spring), the first disbursement will usually occur at the start of the Fall semester and the second disbursement will usually occur at the start of the Spring semester.