Disbursement & Credit Balance Information

The Whitworth Student Financial Services office works hard to assure timely delivery of funds to students. Please read the following information related to credit balances.

What is a credit balance?

A credit balance is the amount of money, usually from financial aid, that remains after a student's charges are paid in full.

What must I do to obtain my credit balance?

• You must be registered for the number of credits upon which your financial aid is calculated.
• You must have begun the classes for which financial aid was offered to assist you.
• Your Whitworth student account must show accurate charges related to your attendance for the term.
• Your financial aid file must be complete – including any online processes related to student loans.

When can I anticipate receiving my credit balance?

Credits balances are prepared ONLY if the above criteria have been met. Review the information below to determine the earliest day that your credit balance may be available to you for the 2024-25 academic year. For the month of September, credit balances will be available after noon on Thursdays and Fridays.

Students who meet all student eligibility requirements 10 days prior to the start of a payment period, and whose federal student aid, not including Whitworth-sponsored aid, is greater than their billable costs for the payment period, may request that the excess federal student aid funds be made available to them by the seventh day of the payment period to be used to buy books and required course supplies. The amount provided would be the lesser of the federal student aid credit balance or the amount needed to obtain books and required course supplies, as determined by Whitworth University. Students may opt out of this policy by contacting the financial aid office. 

These dates apply only if the student begins the first class/session of the respective term.

Students should come to Whitworth prepared to purchase books and supplies without relying on their financial aid refund.

The Federal Direct Loan Programs and the federal Pell Grant Program require current data to be received and processed by the U.S. Department of Education before funds can be transmitted to your student account.

Financial aid funds are transferred to Whitworth student accounts twice weekly. Credit-balances are processed on Wednesdays, with checks available for pickup in the Whitworth Student Financial Services Office. Be prepared to show photo I.D. Refunds issued via direct deposit are transmitted to students' bank accounts on Thursdays and are generally available within 5-8 days from the time of transmittal, depending upon your bank's policy. Parent PLUS loans will not disburse until after the 10th day of class each semester to ensure all charges have occurred on the students' accounts before releasing credits. 

To sign up for direct deposit, go to Pirate Port and select Self-Service under the list of campus systems. When the page loads, click on the Banking Information option.  After you have selected "add a bank account," please enter the bank account number and routing number of where you would like the funds to be deposited to. If you change banks and close your account, please update this in Banking Information on Self-Service accordingly. Please know that setting up a direct deposit account can take up to 10 business days. If a refund is processed in this 10-day window, it is likely the refund will be processed as a paper check and not direct deposit.

Students with tuition remission who have completed the necessary online form with Whitworth Human Resources can anticipate their credit checks being available a week or two into the semester.