Financial Aid

Disbursement Reminders

Disbursement Reminders
    1. All federal and state aid (except Pell Grant for correspondence courses and Federal Work-Study) will automatically be applied to tuition, fees, room and board charges on your bill each semester. Please refer to the Financial Aid Handbook & Policies for additional information regarding billing and aid disbursement.
    2. All first-time borrowers must complete both Federal Direct Loan Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) before funds can be disbursed.
    3. Loan funds will not apply to your first University bill for each term as funds cannot be disbursed until just before the semester begins.
    4. Loan amounts must be made in two disbursements for the academic year:
      • Half in the Fall Term and half in the Spring Term
      • Single semester loans will be disbursed in one disbursement at the beginning of the term
    5. Before each aid disbursement, financial aid eligibility must be reviewed in such areas as:
      • Satisfactory Academic Progress
      • Hours of enrollment
      • Proper class level (transfer students should have final grade transcript from previous school sent to WIU as early as possible)
      • Admitted to a degree program
      • Eligible coursework
    6. Refund amounts for aid exceeding direct educational charges (tuition, fees, health insurance, room and board) are direct deposited to your designated bank account (Direct Deposit Authorization Information).
    7. ALWAYS review your University account balance after receiving a refund - certain miscellaneous charges and past due balances cannot automatically be paid using federal/state aid. Submit an Authorization Statement to Billing & Receivables to allow partial payment of miscellaneous charges.
    8. Be prepared to pay for books using your personal resources. Refunds from financial aid are not always available or may be insufficient to pay for all your books. Books cannot be charged to your University account.
    9. Semester bills are available on STARS in August and January - email notification is sent each month when the bill is available to view on STARS. Email addresses may be updated on STARS.
    10. Specific questions concerning bills or the billing process should be directed to Billing and Receivables at (309) 298-1831.