Student Accounts Refund Check Policies

Student Accounts Refund Checks

Refunds:

  • Refunds created by federal student aid are automatically issued within 14 days of the receipt of the aid or the start of the semester, whichever is later.
  • All other refunds must be requested by the student (complete the  Refund Request Form) and are subject to review by Student Accounts. Refunds are limited to the total credit balance for all semesters for which the student has been billed.
  • In all cases refunds are issued in accordance with regulatory requirements and the choices made by the student on the Student Account Authorization form and the Refund Request Form. Refunds are only issued based on funds that have been applied (received) and not on awarded and not applied (unreceived/pending) funds or payments. 
  • Refund checks are mailed to the home address. If you wish to pick up your refund check in person at the Student Accounts Office, please complete the Refund Request Form.

Please complete and return the Authorization for Federal Student Aid Form if you wish to authorize AIC to use your FSA funds for miscellaneous charges or to hold credit balances on your account each year.

Federal Student Aid Funds:

Federal Funds are always considered to be applied to the account first (regardless of the order/date in which funds are received.) The funds are listed in the order in which they are considered to be applied.

  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
  • TEACH Grants
  • FSEOG (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
  • PELL Grant
  • Direct PLUS Loans (Parent or Graduate)
  • Subsidized Direct Loans
  • Unsubsidized Direct Loans

 All other funding (AIC grant funds, State funds, alternative education loans, etc.) are considered to be applied after federal funding unless there is a policy or regulation that mandates the application of the funds.

Federal Student Aid Regulations:

  • Educational Institutions can only apply Federal Student Aid (FSA) to allowable charges which include tuition, fees, book vouchers, residence life room, and meal plans (Institutional Charges). We need written permission from the student to apply FSA to miscellaneous charges., like parking fees and health services charges. 
  • FSA is considered to be applied to Institutional Charges prior to all other forms of payment (other scholarships, grants, loans or payments) regardless of the order in which the funds are received. Exceptions may apply if an award has stipulations that require it to be applied to specific costs.
  • Educational Institutions may apply up to $200 of the FSA for the current year to allowable charges from a prior year.
  • Educational Institutions must issue refunds due to FSA within 14 days of when the credit balance occurs or 14 days after the beginning of the semester (whichever is later) unless the Educational Institution has your written permission to hold the credit balance on your account.
  • Educational Institutions are REQUIRED to to issue refund checks for credit balances due to FSA funds at the end of the loan period or year for which they were awarded even if students have requested credit balances to be held on the account.

Check Not Received

If you did not receive your check in a reasonable time period, please contact Student Accounts.

  • AIC requires a 3 week period to have elapsed after a check was mailed, before it is considered to be lost.
  • AIC will verify that the check was not cashed prior to re-issue
  • AIC reserves the right to verify that your account balance is unchanged and may re-issue a refund for a lower amount or withhold a refund if additional charges or other changes have been processed on your account.
  • The Student Accounts Office will co-ordinate the process with the student.

Refund Request Form

Refund Options Form

Purpose: Use this form to indicate that you want to be issued a refund when eligible and to indicate how you want to receive the refund.  Please contact Student Accounts at studentaccounts@aic.edu if you have any questions. Refund checks due to Federal Student Aid are issued automatically and in accordance to the options chosen on the Authorization for Federal Student Aid form. You do not need to complete this request if all of your financial aid is from Federal Student Aid.  (see Refund Policy)

Eligibility: Must have a credit balance on the student account for ALL semesters for which you have been billed. All financial aid must be received (applied) to your account. Refunds are issued once every week to eligible students.

Time-Frame:  Requests are kept on file for a year. The year is from May 1 to April 30.  Example: A request submitted on May 15, 2022 would be active through April 30, 2023. You need to submit a request once a year (or to change your options chosen). Allow 1-5 business days for processing (The request will not change any refunds already in progress. You will receive emails from Student Accounts when refunds are in progress and the emails will indicate  the delivery method).

See Your Submission: Choose View Reports at the top of this form to see your submissions. All address changes are submitted to the Registrar’s Office to have your account updated. Address changes may take 2-10 business days.

Special Notice:  P lease bring your student ID# or a picture ID with you to Student Accounts if your check was held for pick-up. you MUST have a picture ID in order to pick-up a check. Checks can only be held for one week and then they will be  mailed.

Student ID
Student Name:
Email:
*
Request Refund?
*
Delivery Method: Hold Refund in Office or Mail?
Here is the billing address we have on file for you, which is where your refund check will be mailed. If this has changed, please update your address below.
Billing Address 1:
Billing Address 2:
Billing City:
Billing State:
Billing Zip:
If your billing address has changed, enter your new billing address below. If no changes are needed, please skip this step. The address change will be sent to the Registrar's Office and your address of record will be updated.
NEW Billing Address 1:
NEW Billing Address 2:
NEW Billing City:
NEW Billing State:
NEW Billing Zip:

How to Cash Your Refund Check

Cash Your Refund Check Without Fees at Westfield Bank

Two closest locations:

1500 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01115		 1342 Liberty Street
Springfield, MA 01104
 

A photo ID is required. Acceptable forms of photo ID:

  • Driver's License
  • State Identification Card
  • Military Identification Card
  • Passport
  • Student Visa
  • Alien Registration or Permanent Resident Card