Disbursement and Refunds

Refunds

There are many reasons why a student might be eligible for a refund. If you have questions or believe you should have a refund please call us at (907) 796-6267 or email us at uas.cashier@alaska.edu. Refund checks picked up at the Student Accounts Office require current, valid identification that matches to the check name. Refund checks will not be released to third-parties without prior authorization and approval.

Refunds can take up to two weeks to process after being requested.

Financial Aid Refund

Refunds to students for Financial Aid are generated after the aid is disbursed and all charges have been paid. Student Accounts processes refunds as soon as possible; however, refunds may take up to 2 weeks from the date requested. After viewing their account activity on UAOnline, students expecting a refund may contact the Student Accounts office at (907) 796-6267 with any additional questions. Each semester, the initial disbursement of financial aid to your student account begins no earlier than 10 days prior to the first day of classes. The disbursement date is NOT the day you should expect a refund, but rather, is the day we begin processing refunds. Student refunds are processed in the order they are disbursed by the financial aid department. ^*Speed up your financial aid refund by signing up or ensuring your account information is correct for Direct Deposit.

^*Course changes made after financial aid has been disbursed may result in a delay or reversal of the financial aid refund. Students should meet with their advisor or a Financial Aid representative to ensure they continue to meet aid requirements.

If you are expecting Financial Aid or Scholarships that are not listed on your UAOnline student account, call the Financial Aid office at (907) 796-6255 or email at uas.finaid@alaska.edu.

If you have received confirmation that your tuition and fees will be paid by a third-party agency or university department, and you don’t see the payment applied to your student account on UAOnline, call the Student Accounts office (907) 796-6492 or email us at uas.cashier@alaska.edu.

Setup Direct Deposit

The University of Alaska offers direct deposit. Students have the option to elect to receive refunds directly into their bank accounts.

Once you set up your bank information online (checking or savings), all future student refunds will be deposited directly to your bank account within 3–4 days of when the university processes a payment.

The initial setup is quite simple using UAOnline and will only have to be done once unless you change banks or decide to stop participating in your direct deposit.

You will be notified via UA e-mail when the setup is complete, when a deposit is processed and any time you make changes to your direct deposit bank information.

More information about direct deposit is available on the UA Direct Deposit Services at the University of Alaska page.

To set up direct deposit and begin receiving direct deposits, sign on to UAOnline. Then:

1. Select "Financial Aid" from the tabs across the top of the page
2. Select "UAS" from the choice of three universities
3. Select "Direct Deposit Services"
4. Select "First time setup of direct deposit". Take note of the other options available here once you have initially set up direct deposit.
5. Follow the instructions on how to enter your bank information. Be sure to confirm your account number with your bank.
6. Press the "Submit" button to complete the direct deposit setup

Petitions for a Tuition Refund

Students may submit a Petition for Refund to the university. This is a request for an exception to university policy on refunds of tuition and fees in the event of extenuating circumstances. Petitions are not automatically granted but will be considered in light of the criteria set forth below and the individual circumstances of the request. Being unaware of university procedures or deadlines does not constitute justification for refund. Refunds are rarely granted and only when extenuating circumstances are documented. A UAS Petition Form is available online, or from Student Accounts or the Registrar's Office.

Petitions for an adjustment of university financial obligations may be granted when a student has been physically disabled, has experienced a death in the family, has a change in employment hours or location beyond the student's control or has other extenuating circumstances. All charges are considered true and correct and are therefore not suspended during the review process. The university reserves the right to move forward on all collection efforts during the review process. Students should note that Financial Aid regulations do not allow for course(s) that have been issued a grade be dropped from transcripts or satisfactory academic progress (SAP) reporting, therefore an approved petition may result in a refund of fees but continue to show the registered incomplete course in academic records.

• Only requests submitted by the student or by a person with legal authority to act on behalf of the student will be considered.
• The deadline to submit a Petition for Refund is no later than one academic year following the semester in which the course was offered. Requests that are not received within this time frame will not be considered.
• Refunds will not be considered for courses in which a student received a passing grade, an Incomplete, or for which a Deferred or Audit grade exists. In situations that a tuition refund is approved, Financial Aid regulations do not allow for course(s) that have been issued a grade be dropped from transcripts or SAP reporting.
• Decisions will be made solely on supporting documentation provided. In all cases a personal statement from the student is required summarizing the situation and explaining the need for an exception to the refund deadline.
• A request will only be approved if the petitioner can demonstrate unanticipated and unavoidable circumstances beyond the student’s control that arose or came to light after published deadlines. Work-related issues, financial hardship,and failure to read UAS’ documents generally do not present justifiable reasons to support a refund request.
• Petitions for refund for self-support courses are generally not allowed and must, at a minimum, have approval of the academic unit/department chair or director.
• Mandatory Student Fees are not refundable unless a student drops all courses during the 100% refund period.
• If the petition for refund is approved, refunds will be issued to the original funding source, e.g., credit card, financial aid, granting agency, lending agency, etc.
• Submitted, completed petitions are generally reviewed weekly. The complexity, completeness, and the number of petitions in review will determine the response time frame. All charges are considered true and correct and are therefore not suspended during the review process. The university reserves the right to move forward on all collection efforts during the review process.
• Requests for reconsideration of an adverse decision must be in writing to the UAS Vice Chancellor of Administration within 30 days of the day the decision is mailed or otherwise distributed to the student. Letters should address what the petition committee decided in error based upon university policy, or for what reason the university should make an extraordinary exception to its published policies. It is encouraged to provide any documentation that supports the claim. See the UAS Appeal Process for Financial Refunds page for more information.
• Complaints about dissatisfaction with academic courses,methods of course delivery or instructor performance are not considered under this process. Depending on the nature of the complaint, these matters are considered according to the Student Dispute/Complaint Resolution Process or the Academic Dispute Resolution Procedure.

Military Students Called to Active Duty or Deployment

Students called to active duty or involuntarily activated, deployed or relocated during an academic term are eligible for 100 percent refund of tuition and fees, and a prorated adjustment on housing and meal plans.

Refund Schedule