Financial aid generally begins disbursing the week prior to the first day of the quarter. To have your aid automatically disbursed, you must have:
- been awarded and have accepted your aid;
- not have any holds on your aid;
- if you are borrowing federal Stafford or PLUS loans have completed required entrance counseling and signed promissory note(s);
- and are registered for full-time credits (12 credits for undergraduates; 10 credits for graduate students) in order for aid (except Stafford and PLUS Loans) to be disbursed.
If these conditions have been met, aid will disburse first to your student account to pay your tuition. If the amount of your aid is greater than the charges on your student account then the difference will be sent to your bank account via direct deposit.
If you are not signed up for direct deposit, an aid check will be automatically mailed to your local address on file. Please check your address information on MyUW and update it if necessary. Aid checks may take up to 10 business days to reach you by mail; signing up for direct deposit will allow you to receive your funds quickly and safely.
Direct Deposit
The easiest and quickest way to sign up for direct deposit or to confirm your direct deposit status is through your Financial Aid Status under Student Finances in MyUW. If you are not able to access this site, contact Student Fiscal Services at sfshelp@uw.edu.
Clear All Holds
Your aid will not disburse if there are any holds on your account. If you have been asked to provide documents or information or have been told that the Financial Aid Office is reviewing your eligibility, follow up with them as soon as possible. You can tell what aid is available to you, what has been disbursed and whether or not there are any holds on your aid by using the Financial Aid Status service in MyUW under Student Finances.
Minimum Credit Load
You must be registered for a full-time credit load (12 credits for undergraduates and professional students; 10 credits for graduate students) in order for aid, except Stafford and PLUS Loans, to be disbursed. If you drop below full-time enrollment after the start of classes, aid already disbursed to pay charges on your account will not be canceled; however, no additional aid will be disbursed to you. If you drop below full-time before the start of classes and aid has been disbursed to you, you will owe a repayment of aid. If you have been awarded aid as a less than full-time student then please see the Financial Aid Office for minimum credit load information.
