Receiving an advance/refund checkis the most common reason that PsyD students interact with the financial aid office. It is often a source of frustration and misinformation. These are funds that you can get from the bursar to pay your immediate living expenses before your full financial aid package has arrived. These funds typically consist of an advance on your student loans plus a voucher to pay for your books. The earliest you can receive an advance on your refund is 10 days before the first day of the semester. You can get a check for 50% of your anticipated refund. If you need more money than that, you can request another advance after you get your first one. The amount of any second advance will be decided by the financial aid office. You can also get a book voucher each semester worth $500. The amount of the book voucher is subtracted from the final refund you receive. In other words, it is not free money.
In order to obtain an early refund check you must:
1) Have a signed and approved promissory note on file with the Financial Aid Office.
2) Request the early refund check from the Bursar's office. Call 2323 to speak with Ed Boss. Tell him you are a PsyD student. If everything is in order, you can either go to the University Center (down the street on Northern Blvd) to pick up the check (usually early refund checks are available to the student in 48 hours) or you can have it mailed to you.
3) Sign an agreement with the Bursar’s office which states that you are responsible for repayment of refund if the loan is not received for any reason
Tips to facilitate the process
1) Call them as early as possible and request an advance of your financial aid.
2) Keep all your school receipts, correspondence, and dates of correspondence in case of any errors.
3) SPEAK UP IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!
Some people have wondered if graduate students are treated differently than undergrads in getting checks. There is no hierarchy at all between undergrads and grads in getting refund checks. The only thing that determines when a student gets a refund check is when their loans come in. The University must disperse extra funds within 8 days. If your refund is because you are getting an assistantship, that is a different story. Those funds are not actually disbursed until the 5th week of school, so you are not getting a refund, but an advance.
