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  5. Financial Aid Refund Policy

Financial Aid Refund Policy

When a student’s financial aid, including grants, scholarships, loans, and/or benefits, is disbursed and exceeds the total charges on their student account, a credit balance may be created. Dallas Baptist University (DBU) follows the policy below for issuing refunds from these credit balances:

1. Automatic Refund Request

If an approved credit balance is generated as a result of financial aid disbursement, DBU will automatically initiate a refund request within 14 days of the credit balance being created, in compliance with federal regulations.

2. Weekly Disbursement and Review Timeline

  • Financial aid disbursements occur every Thursday or Friday.
  • A designated Financial Aid staff member retrieves the list of credit balances each Friday afternoon following disbursement.
  • The evaluation process begins the following Monday, ensuring accuracy and compliance and sent to the business office before refunds are issued.

3. Credit Balance Evaluation Process

The evaluation includes a thorough review of the credit balance to confirm:

  • The credit refund fits within the student's cost of attendance and financial need.
  • The source of the credit (e.g., federal/state aid, student loans, private scholarships, VA benefits, or personal payments).
  • The credit amount does not exceed the total of refundable payments or the amount of aid that is deemed refundable.
  • For Parent PLUS Loans, refunds are issued either to the student or parent based on the instructions provided in the loan application.

4. Adjustments and Notifications

If the review indicates that a correction or adjustment to aid is necessary, appropriate Financial Aid personnel will be notified, and aid will be adjusted accordingly before any refund is processed.

5. Refund Issuance

Once a refund is approved from the Financial Aid side: 

  • The student’s approved refund information is sent to the Business Office – Accounts Payable.
  • Accounts Payable processes and disburses the refunds to the designated recipients, typically through direct deposit or mailed check, depending on the student's chosen refund method.

Learn More About Setting Up Credit Balance Refunds 

To learn more about refunds or how to set up your personal eRefunds account, please visit the Cashier’s webpage for complete information.