What is a Refund?
A student refund is the excess financial aid you can receive after aid has been disbursed and your outstanding balance for tuition and fees have been paid.
A refund will NOT be processed if there is a hold on your account. Holds can be viewed at MyFIU.
Refunds are processed by the Student Financials Office.
Student refunds are processed automatically when there is a refundable credit on a student's account. Financial aid refunds are generally processed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. PLUS loan refunds are generally processed on Tuesdays.
Overpayment refunds (non-financial aid) are generally processed on Tuesdays. If the overpayment is funded by a paper check or e-check payment there is a ten day encumbrance from the payment date before a refund can be generated. Credit card refunds are generally generated on Wednesdays.
Refunds are usually not generated on bank holidays, last day to pay deadlines, and the day of the enrollment cancellation. Overpayment student refunds are not processed during the add/drop period.
How to Get Your Refund
Direct Deposit (Recommended)
Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive your refund. Only U.S. bank accounts can be used for direct deposit. Designate your bank account on MyFIU:
- Log onto MyFIU.
- Click on 'Financial Account' tile.
- Click on the 'Direct Deposit' link
- Enter the bank account details and click the 'Next' button
- Review and agree to the Direct Deposit Agreement
- Click the 'Submit' button
Once your refund is processed, it will take approximately 24 to 48 business hours to be deposited into your bank account. Some banks make take longer to process payments.
Paper Check
If a student does not set up direct deposit, they will be mailed a paper check to the home address on record with the university. This method is significantly slower than direct deposit.
The home address must be a local U.S. address.
Request Replacement Check
In order to submit a Replacement Check Affidavit on your myFIU account, follow the instructions as outlined on the bottom of the form:
- Log onto MyFIU, and Select the 'Student Tools' tile.
- Click the 'Document Uploads' tile
- Review the instructions then click 'Accept and Continue.
- Follow instructions to Submit Forms Online
- Choose Department: Student Financials
- Choose Semester Term: Current Term
- Choose Form Name: Replacement Check Affidavit
- Upload your documents and “Save”
If you have an outstanding paper check that has not been cashed, a notification will be sent to your FIU email and your myFIU message board. If you are eligible for a replacement check, you will need to complete the Replacement Check Affidavit form and upload the form through your FIU student portal. In order to receive a replacement check, you are required to either add direct deposit or update your home address to a US postal address. Replacement checks can take up to two weeks to be completed.
Please note: This process may not be completed for direct deposit refunds.
Refund checks that are not cashed within 150 days from the issued date will be canceled, and a stale-dated hold will be placed on the student’s account.
What If My Refund Is Not What I Expected?
You can check Financial Aid on your MyFIU to verify your refund amount. If your enrollment, financial situation or living arrangements have changed, it is possible that triggered an award adjustment to your financial aid.