Financial Aid Disbursement Policy
A disbursement is the payment of federal, state, and institutional student aid funds to the student by the school. Students generally receive their student aid in two or more disbursements over the course of an academic year (fall, spring, or summer).
Disbursement Methods
The DBU Financial Aid Office is responsible for determining aid eligibility and awarding all possible financial aid to our students. Disbursement is the process by which financial aid is applied to the student’s university account and is a function of the Business/Cashier’s Office. The financial aid office audits student accounts prior to disbursement and notifies the Casher’s Office that aid has been audited and is approved for disbursement.
Students who are awarded more aid (scholarships, grants, and loans) than what they are billed for each semester will receive a credit balance refund. Refunds can be expected within 14 days of financial aid posting. Students are directed to set up their preferred method of receiving a refund prior to aid posting to ensure they receive any refund in the most efficient manner. Students can watch a video and learn how to set up refunds on the Cashier’s Refund Page.
Parents who are receiving a refund from a Parent Plus Loan will receive their refund as a mailed check. For additional information, please email the DBU Cashier’s Office at cashier@dbu.edu.
Disbursement of financial aid posts after the school’s census date (tenth class day) of each long semester, provided all disbursement requirements are satisfied.
Posting dates are as follows for the 2026-2027 award year (dates may be approximate).
| Term | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | 09/10/26 |
| Spring 2027 | 02/04/27 |
| Summer 2027 | 06/17/27 |
Loans
Loan proceeds will be disbursed following the DBU normal disbursement dates, but ONLY after the student is registered and all loan documents are received (including Entrance Counseling and master promissory notes (MPNs, if applicable) have been completed). Learn more at studentaid.gov.
Private alternative loan funds are disbursed by the lender to DBU by means of EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) or paper check. These funds will not be credited to the student account until received from the lender.
Account Statements
The Cashier’s Office is proud to offer an Online Student Account Center to help both students and parents better manage the financial investment in their education at Dallas Baptist University.
Students will have access to the online student account center by clicking on the "TouchNet" tile in their MyDBU account. Parents can gain access to their student’s account by being enabled as an Authorized User by their students in the student account center.
To learn more about the DBU online Student Account Center, please refer to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section below. Contact the Cashier’s Office at (214) 333-5336 or via email at cashier@dbu.edu.
Financial Aid Disbursement FAQs
Financial aid typically disburses/posts to the student’s account after the school’s census date (around the tenth class day) of each long semester, provided all disbursement requirements are satisfied.
Once disbursement is complete, you’ll see your account balance change to reflect that a payment has been made.
It can be tempting to spend unwisely when you have extra money in your pocket after your charges are paid. Remember, loans need to be repaid with interest, and scholarship funds are intended to pay for housing and food, books, course materials, supplies, and equipment and should be used for those things only.
Smart borrowing, establishing good credit and creating a realistic budget are skills that you need to be successful. No matter what you’re studying, this is a great time to start building your best money habits. The Financial Awareness Counseling Tool (FACT) is a great way to view your current debt, create a budget with your expenses, and help you determine if you need to borrow additional funds.
The sooner you develop and implement a financial plan, the sooner you can be financially secure. The National Endowment for Financial Education includes tips to create your financial plan, as well as many other smart ideas for saving, spending, and protecting your money.
If you are a graduating senior and only attending one semester, the DBU Financial Aid Office is required to reduce your financial cost of attendance for the academic year to reflect one semester costs. In most cases, a reduction of your cost of attendance will reduce your financial aid eligibility and result in a reduction of some of your awards (even if you have already accepted them). If you plan on attending one semester, please contact us or visit our office to see how your aid will be affected.
Students electing to use VA educational benefits at DBU under Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) or the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) must first establish their benefits eligibility, then verify their intent each semester. In accordance with 38 U.S.C 3679 (e), students who successfully establish their eligibility and elect to use benefits in any given semester are automatically given a tuition deferment that will prevent any late fees or penalties from being incurred during that semester.