Account Refunds

Most credits (negative balances) including financial aid refunds are refunded on a weekly basis. Refunds for individual students will depend on the date the disbursement or the date when a credit was generated on your account.

Specific dates of disbursement can be found on Self Service Banner (SSB) under your Statement and Payment History and this is the date that should be used to determine when your refund will be available. 
If you have a specific inquiry about a refund, you may send an email from your campus email address only to bursar@ecsu.edu for assistance. Refund processing will not be discussed via phone with parents or students.

The Bursar's Office must first verify that a student has an eligible credit on the account before a refund can be generated. Credits occur in one of the following ways

• Financial aid disbursement - The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships runs disbursements for eligible students to apply the financial aid payment to the account. If the financial aid exceeds the total charges a credit (negative balance) will generate on the student's account. If you have not completed promissory notes or accepted your financial awards online, the financial aid will not be able to disburse to your account. Please ensure these steps have been completed prior to contacting the Bursar's Office as we cannot issue a refund until the disbursement appears on your account.
• Withdrawal within the eligible period -The student withdraws from the University or has a status change from (Full-time to Part-time or campus based to distance learning only classes) which would result in a payment initially applied exceeding the total charges on the account. When the status changes a credit (negative balance) may be generated on the account.

Once it is determined that a student is eligible for a refund, the refund is processed and students with a direct deposit profile will receive an email indicating the direct deposit has been released, students without a direct deposit profile will automatically have a paper check mailed to the active address on file.

Method of Delivery for Refunds

• Electronic (Direct) Deposit - Students are encouraged to sign up for electronic deposit of student refunds in order to have their refund deposited into their checking or savings account. The account must be in the name of the student who will be listed as the payee of the refund. You must use a valid bank routing and checking or savings account number in order for the deposit to be processed electronically. Failure to enter the information correctly will result in a delay of your direct deposit. If your information is incorrect, the funds must be returned to ECSU before the refund can be routed to the correct bank account.
  • To sign up for direct deposit:

• • • log into SSB and click on Student
    • then Student Accounts and View Bill/Make a Payment.
    • Click on the Electronic Refunds link and follow the instructions. 
      • Make sure you are setting up your refund account using your bank's routing number and your checking account  number and not your debit card.

• Check - Students who do not create an eRefund profile will have their check mailed to their mailing address on file. If a valid mailing address is not on file, the system will attempt to search for an active permanent address or other active address on the system in order to process the refund and issue a check. Checks are mailed no later than three (3) business days after the check is printed. Students will not be able to pick up printed checks as they will be mailed. Replacement checks will be issued in the event of a lost or stolen check. Replacement checks will be issued fourteen (14) days after the original check has been determined to be lost or stolen. This allows enough time for the check to route through the postal system and either be returned or forwarded. In addition, administrative steps must be completed in order to properly document and replace the original check. Students must submit a request an email for an Affidavit and Indemnity Bond which must be notarized prior to processing a replacement. The request for an Affidavit can be sent to bursar@ecsu.edu from the student's campus email account. Students should ensure address are updated regularly in avoid issues with checks being lost in the mail due to an incorrect address. We strongly encourage all students to sign up for direct deposit as this is the most convenient and secure way to receive your student refund.

Please note: If your overpayment is due to a credit card overpayment, your refund will be credit back to the credit card used when making the payment as long as the credit card payment is the last transaction applied resulting in a refund. If the refund resulted from payment by check, the refund will not be released until fifteen (15) business days after the check has been issued which gives the check enough time to clear the bank.

 

Credits that are the result of a Parent PLUS loan will be refunded directly to the parent who is the borrower on the loan. If the parent wishes to have the refund check made payable to the student, they must complete the authorization with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships during the application period. 

NOTE: All refunds are issued to the permanent address primarily. If you have inactivated your permanent address for any reason, the next available address provided on your account will be used for mailing of refund checks.

If your address is incorrect, please complete a Change of Address Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office

Military Tuition Assistance is a U.S. Department of Defense program. Tuition Assistance rules vary by branch of service and even vary between different units within the same branch depending on whether the unit is active duty, Reserve, or National Guard. Tuition Assistance funds will be applied to tuition costs only.

In accordance with regulations issued by the Department of Defense, Tuition Assistance funds are earned proportionally during the enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.  If a Service member officially or unofficially withdraws from a course, Elizabeth City State University must return unearned tuition assistance (TA) funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the enrollment period.  In cases where some or all of the tuition assistance must be returned, the Service member will be responsible for all balances on his or her student account.

In instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, Elizabeth City State University will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.