Financial Aid Payments

Overview

Beginning on these dates, your funds will pay any outstanding charges on your student account for the current term. If you receive a refund, check to ensure you do not still owe a balance for a different term. You are responsible for paying any remaining balance.

Additionally...

  1. Tuition is due at the end of the fifth day of classes each term for all students.
  2. Financial aid begins to pay on the seventh day of classes after enrollment is confirmed.
  3. If you do not have a tuition deferment and have not paid your bill by the end of the fifth day of classes, your enrollment will be cancelled.
  4. Any balance remaining will either be e-deposited to your personal bank account, (Log into  to sign up for E-Deposit) or Student Accounting Services (SAS) will mail a check to the mailing address listed for you in .

Common Refunds & Repayment Questions

What if I expected to receive a refund but need to repay my funds?

Any institutional refunds (e.g., tuition & fees, housing) you receive will be applied to any federal student aid repayment amount you owe. You must request institutional refunds from the corresponding USF department according to their established policy/procedures/contract, etc.

University Registrar 鈥� Tuition & Fees


Tampa Campus

St. Petersburg Campus

Sarasota-Manatee Campus

USF Housing & Dining 鈥� Housing & Meal Plan
You should not expect to receive any institutional refund until all federal student aid programs are repaid in full for the entire amount paid to you that term. This includes retroactive non-fee liable drops approved by the University Registrar when those hours were included in your enrollment status to initially disbursed federal student aid grant funds (e.g., Pell, SEOG).

You should also not expect to receive any institutional refund until all non-federal aid programs that require a repayment (e.g., Bright Futures) for totally withdrawn students until those aid programs are also repaid in full. In general, all financial aid grants, scholarships, and student loans will be reimbursed by any refund until those programs are repaid in full. The following addresses the distribution of any refund if financial aid funds were received during the term:

  • If you received Federal Student Aid, the refund will be applied to any repayment amount owed first (see Repayment Policy) and then until all Federal Student Aid funds are repaid in full. This includes retroactive non-fee liable drops approved by the University Registrar when those hours were included in your enrollment status to initially disbursed federal student aid grant funds (e.g., Pell, SEOG).
  • If you were paid a State of Florida Scholarship or Grant (e.g., Florida Bright Futures, Florida Student Assistance Grant) a refund approved during that term will be applied to the scholarship or grant until it has been repaid in full for that term.
  • If you only received a USF Scholarship or scholarship/grant funds from another State or private agency/organization, the refund may be applied to the scholarship(s) until repaid in full for that term. This depends on the specific guidelines for each program.

What happens if I have a physical refund check that I haven't cashed?

Federal regulations require institutions that mail refund checks to students to return those funds to the Federal Student Aid programs if the checks are not cashed before they expire. USF checks expire 90 days after they are printed.

If a refund check is returned for a bad address, Student Accounting Services will attempt to contact the student and re-mail the check if a new address is available.

After the 90th day of the check date, the Office of Financial Aid is required to return the Federal Student Aid (including student loans) to the Federal Student Aid program. Funds returned to the Federal Student Aid program will not be reissued. Any remaining unclaimed funds may be sent to the Florida Department of Financial Services in Tallahassee as abandoned property.

The best way to avoid this scenario is for students to sign up for eDeposit via Student Self-Service in the Tuition, Fees, and Payment link.

NOTE: You may submit a written request to the Office of Financial Aid to have a refund for a corresponding term returned to a particular scholarship, grant, or loan program from which you received funds for that term. In certain circumstances, this may allow you to regain future eligibility for specific scholarships or reduce the outstanding principal balance on a student loan.

What if I'm a Florida Bright Futures recipient?

If a Bright Futures recipient drops/withdraws from a class after the advertised add/drop date (see ), they are required by the state of Florida to repay USF for Bright Futures credits paid. A hold will be placed on the account until payment is received.

What if I have questions about my student loan grace period?

The students' grace period for loan repayments for Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Grad PLUS Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and FFELP loans will begin on the day of the withdrawal from the University. The student should contact the servicer if he/she has questions regarding the grace period or repayment status. Exit loan counseling should be completed online at the Department of Education鈥檚 Student Loan website.