Refund Frequently Asked Questions
If you are enrolled in direct deposit and your refund is coming from financial aid, your refund will process one business day after a credit balance is created. You will then see the funds in your bank account in 3 to 5 days.
If you are enrolled in direct deposit and your refund is coming from a personal payment, the funds will be held for 14 days from the date the payment was made.
If you are not enrolled in direct deposit, Title IV funds will be refunded via paper check to the mailing address we have on file for you in Catalyst once a week (typically Thursdays). Refunds via paper check do not begin 10 days before the term starts, rather, that process starts the first week of each term. If the funds are not Title IV, the credit balance will stay on the account until direct deposit enrollment is completed.
Students who pay their bill in full could be due an unexpected refund because of late class cancellations, schedule changes, academic program changes, etc. It happens more frequently than you may think so be prepared and ensure your refund goes directly to your bank account by signing up for direct deposit.
The most common reason is that direct deposit was not completed until after the refund was issued. Please cash/deposit the paper check and all future refunds will be direct deposited.
Another common reason is if the refund is coming from a parent plus loan, then the funds must go to the borrower of the loan and cannot be deposited into the student’s bank account.
Credit balances originating from a credit card payment on the account will be refunded back to the original credit card.
If the credit card payment was made more than 60 days prior to the credit balance being created, refunds will be issued via direct deposit. We cannot accept requests to keep credit card refunds on the account for more than 60 days unless you are requesting for the funds to pay charges.
A credit balance refund occurs when the posting of all aid (grants, loans, and other payments) exceed charges posted to the students account. You can view your account details by logging into Catalyst.
The most common reason is that your balance due is for a term that differs from the term that your aid disbursed to. Financial aid is typically term specific and cannot pay charges from another term. Simply use the refund you received to make a payment to your account.
Another common reason is that you did not complete the Financial Aid Agreement which means that we cannot use your financial aid to pay non-tuition related charges such as ebooks, insurance, parking, etc.
To enroll in direct deposit: Sign into Catalyst, go to the My Finances tile, and then click on Billing Information on the left hand side. Select Direct Deposit Enrollment and follow the prompts.
Stop payments will only be considered once it has been 30 days from the refund issue date. If it has been 30 days:
Step One:
Enroll in direct deposit. To enroll in direct deposit: Sign into Catalyst, go to the My Finances tile, and then click on Billing Information on the left hand side. Select Direct Deposit Enrollment and follow the prompts.
Step Two:
Email the Bursar office at bursar@ucmail.uc.edu to request a stop payment.
If you would like to receive your refund, please enroll in direct deposit. To enroll in direct deposit: Sign into Catalyst, go to the My Finances tile, and then click on Billing Information on the left hand side. Select Direct Deposit Enrollment and follow the prompts.
Otherwise, eligible credit balances on your account will remain on your account to pay future term charges. This will be completed automatically, and no action is required.
The most common reason is because you are a full-time student. Full-time students are charged a flat rate meaning there is no change in tuition charges if you are still full-time.
Another common reason is that the course was dropped past the 100% refund deadline.
Sign into Catalyst and enroll your correct/current bank in direct deposit. The bank that is closed will return the funds to us within 14 days and we will then reissue your refund to your correct bank account.
Refunds can be issued on different dates or to different sources depending on your situation.
a. Your refund may have been split up between direct deposit and credit card.
b. Your credit balance could be coming from different sources. For example, financial aid is refunded right away, but personal payments are held for 14 days.
If you received your refund via paper check, please mail it back to the Bursar office with a note that you would like to return the funds. You can also write the word "void" across the front of the check and send an email to bursar@ucmail.uc.edu with an image of the check attached.
If you received your refund via direct deposit, please email One Stop at onestop@ucmail.uc.edu and request the funds to be returned. Once the return has been made, you will see a balance due in Catalyst for that amount and then you can make a payment with the refund that you received.
If it has been at least 30 days since the check was issued, please send an email to bursar@ucmail.uc.edu to let a representative know that you did not receive your check.
Parents will only receive refunds if the credit balance is coming from a parent plus loan. All other refunds are issued to the bank account listed under the student. If the student is not enrolled in direct deposit, then this would be why a refund was issued via paper check.
Stop payment requests can be considered once it has been 30 days from the refund issue date. Once it has been 30 days please complete the below actions in order:
- Delegated Access must be completed if it is not already.
- Enroll in direct deposit under the delegated access portal. To enroll in direct deposit in the parent portal, sign into Catalyst with the username and ID you received during the delegated access process. Then click on the Delegated Access Tile, then Manage Bank Account and follow the prompts.
- Email bursar@ucmail.uc.edu to request the stop payment.