Most financial aid programs are disbursed to your student account in the Student Finance Office. They will apply the funds to pay UNT Dallas charges first (tuition and fees). After those charges are paid, any remaining funds will be sent to you in the form of a credit balance.
We begin disbursing financial aid ten days prior to the start of a term for fall and spring. For summer funds begin to disburse on the first day of class.The disbursement of your financial aid could be delayed due to one of the following reasons:
- Not being registered for the number of credit hours for which your aid was awarded
- Not meeting financial aid satisfactory academic progress
- Having an outstanding item on your To Do List
You can check to see if your financial aid has been disbursed in the myUNTDallas portal.
If you need your anticipated refund of financial aid funds to pay for books and supplies, it is possible to obtain a book voucher from the financial aid office starting the first day of class. Students that are Pell eligible and have not received a refund will be serviced first for the first five days of class. Students that are not Pell eligible or have not been awarded can receive a book voucher starting the sixth day of class.
If you are on warning or probation with the Office of Financial Aid in regards to your academic progress, the disbursement of your financial aid will be delayed until your grades from the previous term have been evaluated.
The financial aid award notice we send you contains information regarding your anticipated enrollment. For example, it indicates if the financial aid awarded is based on your enrollment as a full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time student. If your actual enrollment is different from how your financial aid was awarded, the funds will not be released to Student Finance. You can review the award notice we sent your myUNTDallas portal. You can request that we adjust your aid for your planned enrollment by contacting the Financial Aid Office.
You need to be enrolled at UNT Dallas in at least 6 hours as an undergraduate student and 5 hours as a graduate student for most institutional, state, and/or loan aid to be disbursed. If you are enrolled in less than 6 hours and you are eligible for the Pell Grant program, you may still be eligible to receive this grant.
Your financial aid award is based on your enrollment in classes at UNT Dallas. If you are registered for classes at another institution, these classes do not apply to your financial aid eligibility at UNT Dallas unless you have completed a concurrent enrollment form.
Disbursement of Financial Aid Funds
- For your awards to disburse, your awards must be “accepted” on myUNTD. You can also adjust the amount of awards so as to accept a lesser amount, or you can “decline” awards you do not want to receive.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is being monitored at the end of each term. You must be meeting the minimum standards for SAP by the end of any given enrollment period at UNT in order to maintain financial aid eligibility.
- Disbursement of most financial aid funds to undergraduate students will occur once you establish half-time (6 undergraduate hours or 5 graduate hours) attendance.
- State and institutional grant funds will be disbursed in one disbursement on the 1st class day of the session in which you establish half-time attendance.
- Federal grant payments may be delayed due to required review by SFAS staff. These payments are based on your annual limit and on your enrollment status. Please note: some grants have additional requirements and are not guaranteed.
- Loan funds will be disbursed in one disbursement on the 1st class day of the session in which you establish half-time attendance. You must have completed Entrance Counseling requirements and have a signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file with your lender before funds will disburse. Click here to complete Entrance Counseling or a MPN.
- If you have been awarded your maximum Direct Stafford Loan eligibility during the Fall/Spring terms, you will not be eligible for loan funds during the following Summer.
Why Your Financial Aid Hasn’t Disbursed
Several factors may prevent your aid from disbursing. Some examples are:
- Failure to register for sufficient hours: Please revisit your award descriptions online iva your myUNTDallas; review your scholarship award letter
- Failure to establish attendance: Payment of financial aid funds to students during the summer will occur once they establish half-time attendance. Paryment for Pell Grant will not disburse until the student has started their last class for the summer semester.
- Owing a balance to UNT Dallas
- Missing documents: Check your To Do List at my.unt.edu for a list of missing documents or forms
- Unanswered requests for action: Students who have accepted loans may be required to complete online Entrance Counseling and/or sign a Master Promissory Note. Another example is the need to submit a final high school transcript to UNT Dallas’ Office of Admissions.
- Being awarded through aid programs that require additional time to review: An example of an aid program is the Federal Pell Grant.
- Belonging to a student group in which awards require additional time to review: Example of student groups are: undocumented students, Post Baccalaureate students, and transfer students
- Not meeting UNT Dallas’ Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Anticipated Aid
Most of your pending financial aid awards can serve as a payment arrangement for your class schedule. It is important to make necessary payment arrangements for your classes prior to published payment deadlines.
Anticipated Aid will hold your class schedule if the total of your Anticipated Aid must be equal to or greater than your Tuition and Fee balance. If the total of your Anticipated Aid is less than your Tuition and Fee balance, payment for the difference must be made prior to the published payment deadlines to prevent your classes from being dropped. Payments can be made online at myUNTD.
Which financial aid awards can be counted as Anticipated Aid?
The following types of financial aid awards are counted as Anticipated Aid:
- scholarships you have been awarded
- grants you have "Accepted" on myUNTD
- federal or state student loans you have "Accepted" on myUNTD
- federal Parent (PLUS) Loans for borrowers who do not have an adverse credit history and SFAS has received a credit approval by the lender
Which financial aid awards are not counted as Anticipated Aid?
The following types of financial aid awards are not counted as Anticipated Aid:
- work-study
- federal Parent (PLUS) Loans that have been denied due to adverse credit history by the lender and/or SFAS has not received a credit approval by the lender.
Book Voucher
There are times when you need funds to purchase your books, but your financial aid has not yet been disbursed to your account. When this occurs we have a process by which you can obtain your books using your anticipated financial aid refund. To obtain a book voucher, you need to meet the following criteria:
- You must apply for financial aid (submit the FAFSA or TASFA).
- You must have provided all of the requested documents.
- Your aid cannot have disbursed.
- You must be in an eligible program
The amount of the book voucher is based on the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled. You may use the book voucher in the university bookstore to purchase books and supplies until your financial aid has been disbursed.
To obtain a book voucher, please visit the Financial Aid Office on the first floor of Building 1.
The Refund Process
Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services handles the refund process. You can also check myUNTDallas to see if you’re receiving a refund and if it’s been processed.
Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services will send out refunds within a week after your aid has been disbursed.
*The refund process may take several days to complete during the first disbursements of a semester. Students having refunds processed during fall and spring registration periods should expect to see their refund by the last day of regular registration.