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Refunds

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Refunds are issued when payments exceed tuition, fees, and other charges and create a credit (or negative) balance on the student account. 

A credit balance on a student’s account can be created by:

Refund eligibility

In order to receive their refund, a student must meet the following requirements: 

When refunds are processed

UNCG begins processing eligible refunds for an upcoming term the week before classes start, so many students will receive their refunds by the first day of classes.  Certain students may receive a refund after the first week of classes if their financial aid disbursement or other account credit is generated later. UNCG cannot process refunds earlier than the week before classes begin.

After the initial refund for the semester, later refunds are processed weekly at the beginning of each week (usually on Monday) and are available later in the week.

How to access refund money

Students can receive their refund via direct deposit or through a mailed paper check. Refund checks cannot be picked up in the Cashiers and Student Accounts Office. The fastest and most secure way to receive a refund is direct deposit.

Students who choose this option will usually receive their refund 2 to 5 days from the date the refund was posted to the student account.

Only students have access to set up an e-Refund account through their student login.  Authorized users can not set up direct deposit. If the student wishes, they may use a parent’s checking account as the deposit account for their e-Refund.

To set up the direct deposit refund option:

  •  Log in to UNCGenie with the student ID number and 6-digit PIN.
  • Click on the Student tab and select “Student Account Center.”
  • Choose the “Refunds” option at the top of the Student Account Center page.
  • If there is not already a Direct Deposit method saved, click on “Set up a new account.”
  • Enter the checking or savings account information and click “Continue.”
  • Read and agree to the authorization agreement and click “Continue.”

Hint: Students should double check the bank routing and checking or savings number. If this information is incorrect, the funds must be returned to UNCG by the bank before the refund can be routed to the correct bank account. This will delay the refund. If the e-Refund direct deposit is returned, UNCG will notify the student via their UNCG email with further instructions.

Students without an e-Refund direct deposit profile will receive a printed check via mail.  Refund checks can take up to two weeks to arrive after posting to the student account. The check will be sent to the student’s local off-campus mailing address as listed in UNCGenie.  If the student does not have an active local mailing address in UNCGenie, the check will be mailed to the student’s permanent off-campus mailing address.  Refund checks will not be delivered through campus mail.

To avoid the possibility of the check being lost in the mail, students are encouraged to make sure their address is updated on the UNCGenie Personal Information tab at least two weeks before classes start.

To receive refunds faster than by mail, students are encouraged to enroll in e-Refunds using the instructions listed in the above tab.

If it has been more than 14 days since the student refund posted and a check has not arrived, students can contact the UNCG Accounts Payable Office at 336.334.5741 in order to replace the original check.   

Students must submit a request for an Affidavit and Indemnity Bond which must be notarized prior to processing a replacement. The completed, notarized form may be emailed to acctpay@uncg.edu. If the form is emailed from the student’s UNCG email address, notarization is not required. Once Accounts Payable has voided the check, the student account will be updated. The credit from the voided check will first apply towards any outstanding charges due towards the student account. If this action results in a new credit on the student account, a new refund will be issued to the student in the following week’s refund process.

Financial aid refund details

Financial aid refunds are issued after aid is disbursed by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Refunds from excess financial aid funds generally do not arrive until near the first day of class, so it’s important for students to plan ahead for costs like off-campus rent or travel expenses. 

If the Student Account Center shows the credit balance is due to estimated or pending financial aid, it means that aid has not yet been disbursed and the student is not yet eligible for a refund. To ensure Financial Aid is disbursed quickly, students should ensure they have completed promissory notes, entrance counseling, and accepted financial awards online. 

Financial aid will automatically apply toward tuition/fees, housing, meal plans, and up to $200 in unpaid prior balances. This means that costs like parking, library fees, and bookstore bucks will not automatically be paid and students must pay these items due on their account out of pocket. This inconvenience can be avoided! Students can complete the Title IV Authorization Form in UNCGenie before aid disbursement that will allow all charges to be automatically deducted from their financial aid. 

For more information, view Reviewing and Accepting Your Award and Aid Disbursement in the Financial Aid section.

Third party sponsor refund details

If the student is expecting payments from both a Third Party Sponsor and UNCG financial aid, the refund will not be processed until both sources have paid to the student account. Under normal circumstances, financial aid will pay first; therefore, the refund will be processed after the Third Party Sponsor payment is received and processed.

Withdrawal refund details

Students who choose to withdraw from the University can do so by dropping all courses online via UNCGenie. Students who drop all courses within the term are considered to be withdrawn from the University and may need to reapply for admission in the future.

There is a $50.00 non-refundable processing fee charged to all students who completely withdraw from the University after the Late Registration and Schedule Adjustment period (refer to the University Academic Calendar). Students who withdraw may also be eligible for a partial refund as tuition and fees will be adjusted. See the University’s Total Withdrawal Refund Calendar for more information.

Housing and meal plans are NOT refundable. However, if a student qualifies for an exception as stated in the Refund Policy, room rent and board are refundable except the pro-rata part of the remaining charge based on the expired portion of the term. The housing contract is for one academic year. Students who cancel their contract at the end of the Fall Semester and remain enrolled at the University, will be charged for the Spring Semester rent.

Questions about housing and dining refunds should be directed to the Housing and Residence Life Office at 336.334.5636.

Students who withdraw after receiving a financial aid disbursement may be required to pay back some or all of their awarded aid. For more information about how this works, view Return of Title IV in the Financial Aid section.

Parent PLUS refund details

Refunds that are the result of Parent PLUS Loans may be refunded either to the student or to the parent. At the time of completing the loan application, parents can opt to have any PLUS Loan refund payable to the student or directly to the parent borrower on the loan by checking the appropriate box on the loan application.

Refunds to parents will always be in the form of paper checks mailed to the borrower’s physical address provided on the loan application.  

Refunds to students will be processed as either an e-Refund direct deposit or in the form of a paper check mailed to the Student. Information on how students can choose their refund method can be found in How to Access Refund Money on this page.

Parents who did not initially authorize their student to receive the PLUS Loan refund may opt to change their decision. Parents who wish to change their refund method should contact the UNCG Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at finaid@uncg.edu or 336.334.5702 to request a change prior to aid disbursement.

Refund appeals

The University Refund Appeals Committee considers appeals from any student who drops in hours or withdraws from the semester and feels that the University Refund Policy does not address their extenuating circumstances. The Committee will only address tuition and fee charges for the dropped course(s) and will not address any charges outside of tuition and fees. The Committee also considers appeals from former students who are contesting the garnishment of North Carolina State income tax refunds through the North Carolina Department of Revenue Tax Set-Off program.

To submit an appeal, the student must provide a completed Refund Committee Appeal Form and written supporting documentation. If the request involves a health-related matter, documentation from the attending physician is strongly recommended. Appeals must be received within one year following the end of the semester for which the appeal is requested.

If the original appeal is denied by the Committee, the student has the right to re-appeal as long as they can provide new written information and/or supporting documentation. If the second appeal is denied and the student feels it deserves further consideration, a third appeal with new written information would be referred to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.

Completed appeals may be submitted to the Cashiers Office in person or by email, fax, or file upload within the secured UNCGenie system. To upload the documentation, login to UNCGenie with your iSpartan information, click on the Students tab, click on Student UNCGenie Main Menu, and click on Cashiers Office Document Upload Process. Select Upload Refund Committee as the Document Type and click Submit.  Click Choose File, select the document from your computer to be uploaded, and click Upload. You may upload another document of the same type if necessary. Please submit your completed appeal form and all written supporting documentation at one time.

CONTACT US

CASHIERS & STUDENT ACCOUNTS OFFICE

  • Cashier window hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Student accounts hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Phone: 336.334.5831
  • Fax: 336.334.4178
  • Email: cashier@uncg.edu
  • Mailing Address: PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
  • Campus Address: 151 Mossman Building*
  • *Face-to-face meeting with counselors by appointment only.  Drop-Ins welcome for payments.
    *How to make an appointment in Starfish