Award Refunds
North Carolina community colleges are required by the state to verify attendance in all classes prior to issuing financial aid refunds. Thus, award refunds are often disbursed later than four-year institutions.
Due to the attendance verification process, students typically receive refunds approximately six weeks after the start of the semester.
Students should plan accordingly for immediate financial needs during this period. Students who should receive refunds following payment of tuition, fees, and bookstore charges will have the refunds disbursed after the start of the semester.
Enroll in Direct Deposit for Award Refunds
Direct Deposit allows students to receive refunds quicker and more securely than by check through automatic deposit of funds to the student’s bank account. Follow these steps to learn how to enroll in direct deposit in Self-Service.
Disbursement Dates
Refund dates are based on when paperwork was completed. These dates are subject to change.
| Refund Date | File Completion Deadline Date |
|---|---|
| September 27 | September 1 |
| October 16 | October 2 |
| November 20 | November 6 |
| December 20 | December 1 |
| Refund Date | File Completion Deadline Date |
|---|---|
| February 22 | February 1 |
| March 7 | February 19 |
| April 22 | April 3 |
| May 6 | April 22 |
| Refund Date | File Completion Deadline Date |
|---|---|
| June 17 | June 1 |
| July 26 | July 8 |
A file complete deadline date means all required financial aid paperwork is accurately submitted to the Financial Aid Office. If you are requesting a student loan, this includes the Loan Authorization form. We cannot guarantee your refund will be on the associated refund date if any of the required paperwork is submitted after the related deadline.
The last file completion deadline date is the final deadline for the term. Any paperwork, including the Loan Authorization form, submitted after this date may not be processed before the completion of the semester. Financial Aid will process your aid at the beginning of the next semester.
Please contact your Financial Aid advisor if you have specific questions.