Disbursement of Financial Aid

Financial aid is applied to student accounts through an authorization and disbursement process.

Authorization refers to the process in which the Office of Financial Aid has verified and confirmed the student has met all eligibility requirements, including enrollment in an eligible program that measures progress in credit hours within a standard term, enrollment verification, enrollment intensity and a completed financial aid folder with no outstanding requirements. 

Disbursement refers to the process by which financial aid funds—federal, state, and scholarships—are applied to a student's account to cover tuition, fees, and other eligible charges. The Office of Financial Aid disburses the funds to the Bursar’s Office for direct application to the student account.

Disbursement Process

Financial aid funds are first disbursed to student accounts to cover institutional charges, including tuition and fees.

Secondly, any Non-Institutional Charges, such as a Meal Plan, transportation Bus Pass, or financial aid advancements that the student has agreed to will be covered if enough financial aid is disbursed.  

If the total amount of financial aid exceeds institutional charges and authorized non-institutional charges, the excess funds (credit balance) will be refunded to the student. Refunds are processed by the Bursar’s Office and distributed through BankMobile BTMX refunds via direct deposit or, for minors, by paper check.

For additional details regarding the refund process, visit Refunds. 

The Office of Financial Aid processes disbursements after classes have commenced and continues to monitor any enrollment changes after the disbursement date and before the PRD, adjusting awards as necessary based on changes in student enrollment.

Students are informed via email, to their official student email account, of their disbursement status, including any award adjustments resulting from changes in the students' enrollment.

Disbursements are made on pre-determined dates each semester, published in advance on the Office of Financial Aid website. The initial disbursement is processed after the census date for both the 16-week term and the first 8-week term, with subsequent disbursements occurring bi-weekly thereafter.

All disbursements comply with federal and institutional policies, including Pell Grant recalculations and the Return of Title IV Funds Policy.

Student Authorizations

Federal law allows Laredo College to use federal financial aid funds to automatically cover institutional charges, such as tuition, fees, and other related educational expenses. Students must provide authorization for the use of federal funds for non-institutional charges, such as meal plans, transportation Bus Pass, late fees and penalties, at the Bursar’s Office.

• Automatic Authorization: Once a student’s financial aid file is complete and they meet the eligibility criteria, Laredo College authorizes financial aid funds upon registration to cover institutional charges. Students have the option to opt-out of this automatic authorization by submitting a written request to the Office of Financial Aid.

• Authorization Process for Non-Institutional Charges: Students who wish to use federal funds to cover non-institutional charges must provide written authorization to the Bursar’s Office before disbursement. Students who decide to revoke authorization must contact the Bursar’s Office promptly.

Student Notifications

Laredo College is committed to ensuring that financial aid disbursement, including Title IV funds, is conducted in a timely, compliant, and transparent manner. The goal is to keep students informed throughout the disbursement process.

• Authorization Confirmation: Financial aid is authorized upon student enrollment. Students receive an automatic email to their official student email account confirming that funds are authorized to cover institutional charges.
• Disbursement Notification: The Office of Financial Aid notifies all eligible students via email to their official student email account that their financial aid has been disbursed in accordance with the disbursement schedule. 
• Refund Information: The student will receive an email notification from the Bursar's Office to their official student email account informing them that financial aid has been refunded to their account.
• Balance Notifications: If there is a remaining balance after financial aid has been applied, the Bursar’s Office will notify the student via email and a courtesy phone call. A student may review their account details and account balance at any time by navigating to the Account Summary section on their Student Self-Service, PasPort account.