• Accept your awards on line on GROWL
• Submit all paperwork required to accept your award, including completion of any electronic loan promissory notes
• Enroll in classes
• Complete pre-loan counseling if you are a new loan borrower
• Pay any past due charges on your student account to the Cashier's Office
• Make arrangements to clear any holds set on your student account (refer to the hold notice sent to you by the Registrar's Office)

The method and time of disbursement varies depending on the type of financial aid that you are receiving. If the balance of the amount disbursed is greater than the amount of your current charges, the Student Business Services Office will issue you a refund. You may receive your financial aid refund as a direct deposit into your personal checking or savings account by signing up for this option with Student Business Services. If you choose to receive your refund in a paper check, it will be mailed to you beginning on the first day of the quarter.

Grants

Federal Pell Grants, Cal Grants, and UCR Grants are credited to your student account beginning ten days prior to the first day of classes. Students receiving Federal Pell Grants, Cal Grants, or UCR Grants must enroll at least half-time (in 6 units) to receive their awards. Federal Pell Grant awards will be prorated for students who enroll on a less than half-time basis (less than 12 units).

Loans

Federal Perkins Loan borrowers must complete an electronic Master Promissory note online after the loan has been accepted on GROWL. Both first time and repeat borrowers must complete pre-loan counseling online before loan funds will be disbursed. Your Federal Perkins Loan will be disbursed to your student account beginning ten days prior to the first day of classes once you have completed all loan requirements. Students receiving Federal Perkins Loans must enroll at least half-time (in 6 units) to receive their awards.

If your financial aid award includes a Federal Direct Stafford Loan and you are a new borrower, you will need to complete an electronic Master Promissory Note on line at www.dlenote.ed.gov. The Master Promissory Note is a multi-year note designed to cover the maximum loan amount you are eligible to receive for all years that you are enrolled at UCR. Repeat borrowers do not need to submit a new promissory note. Students who are borrowing for the first time at UCR must also complete pre-loan counseling online. A 2% loan origination fee will be deducted from the amount of your Federal Direct Stafford Loan. Therefore, the net amount actually disbursed to you will be 98% of the amount shown in the Disbursement Schedule on your financial aid offer on GROWL. The balance of your Federal Direct Stafford Loan will be disbursed to your student account.

UCR Scholarships

Regents, Chancellor's, Alumni, and most other scholarships administered by the UCR Financial Aid Office are credited to your student account beginning ten days prior to the first day of classes. Students receiving athletic scholarships must enroll full time (in 12 units) to receive their awards. Some academic departments award scholarships to students in their departments. These awards may be disbursed to your student account or issued directly to you in a check, depending on the department's procedures.

Outside Scholarships

Students who are receiving outside scholarships from their high school or other organization should arrange to have their scholarship funds sent to the UCR Financial Aid Office at:

University of California, Riverside
Financial Aid Office
1156 Hinderaker Hall
Riverside, CA 92521-0209

UCR will verify your enrollment and disburse your award according to the instructions of the donor. Outside scholarship checks made payable to UCR only, which are for $500 or less, are usually disbursed in a single payment for the term in which they are received; checks for more than $500 are disbursed quarterly. Outside scholarship checks which are co-payable to UCR and the student must be endorsed by the scholarship recipient before they can be disbursed. Co-payable checks for $1,000 or less are disbursed in a single payment for the term in which they are received; checks for more than $1,000 are disbursed quarterly.

Federal Work-Study

If you accept a Federal Work Study award, you will need to contact the Career Services Office for job placement. Students employed in on campus Work-Study positions must submit a time sheet to the supervisor in their department by their department’s payroll deadline in order to receive payment for the hours worked the preceding month. Students employed in off campus Work-Study positions must submit their signed time sheets to the Financial Aid Office by the 15th of the month, or the preceding business day if the 15th is on a weekend. For students who complete the UCR Payroll Sure Pay application, Federal Work-Study funds will be directly deposited to their personal bank account via electronic funds transfer on the 1st of the month for hours worked during the prior month.

Federal Direct PLUS Loans

PLUS Loan funds are generally applied to your student account. However, if your parents prefer, they may request direct payment by check. PLUS Loan funds made directly payable to the parent borrower are not available to pay fees or other institutional charges, which must be paid from personal resources or other funds. Information regarding the process to request direct payment is included with the PLUS Loan application. This disbursement process may result in delays in receipt of loan funds. Students receiving Federal Direct PLUS Loans must enroll at least half-time (in 6 units) to receive their awards.

Enrollment Requirements

You must register for classes each quarter before your aid will be applied to your student account to pay your fees. Refer to the UCR Schedule of Classes for more information. Financial aid recipients, Graduate Division assistance recipients, and students receiving Student Health Insurance Fee Waivers who fail to enroll in courses by the fee payment deadlines may be subject to a late registration fee if they do not make arrangements to pay fees from other sources or take out the Deferred Payment Plan, since their awards will not be disbursed until they are registered.

In general, you must be enrolled in twelve units to qualify for your full financial aid award. Some awards may be adjusted if you enroll part time (in six to eleven units). Most awards are canceled if you enroll less than half time (in one to five units).

• The Federal Perkins Loan and Federal Direct Stafford Loan programs require you to be enrolled at least half time to receive your award.
• The Federal Pell Grant program requires proration of your award on a three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time basis if you enroll for less than 12 units. UCR aid is not increased for students who have a Federal Pell Grant reduced due to less than full-time enrollment. Federal Pell Grant enrollment status is based on official unit enrollment at the end of the third week of each quarter. Awards cannot be increased for students who are part-time at the end of third week and subsequently add units to enroll full-time. Late payment for a previous quarter is based on units actually completed for that term at the time of disbursement.
• NCAA regulations require student athletes who are receiving athletic scholarships to be enrolled full time in order to receive their award.

Student Account Holds

The Registrar's Office sends hold notices to all students via web mail prior to the beginning of enrollment each quarter. This notice provides information about the type of hold you have and the office to contact in order to clear the hold. Some holds prevent enrollment in classes. These holds may be set by the Admissions Office, Registrar's Office, your academic department, or the Student Business Services Office. Other holds may not block your enrollment, but may prevent disbursement of your financial aid.

Please read carefully all notices sent to you by any department at UCR to ensure that you have complied with all registration and disbursement requirements. Some requests may be sent after the Registrar's Office sends out hold notices, and it is your responsibility to resolve these conditions as well. You will generally receive notice in writing if there is a deadline to submit requested information before a hold will be set. Students with satisfactory academic progress holds will not receive any financial aid disbursements for the following quarter until they have submitted an approved appeal to the Financial Aid Office or have complied with any satisfactory academic progress contingencies, such as completing 12 units with a GPA of 2.00 or better.

Financial Aid Refunds

You will receive the balance of any remaining financial aid after your fees and other institutional charges have been paid in a refund beginning on the first day of the quarter (see Important Dates). Financial aid refunds may be directly deposited to your personal bank account via electronic funds transfer if you sign up for this option with the Student Business Services Office. You may download and print the application for Direct Deposit from the Student Business Services web site. If you are not in the direct deposit program you will receive your financial aid refund in a check mailed to your local address at the beginning of the quarter by the Student Business Services Office. To change your billing address go to GROWL and click on the address button. It is your responsibility to ensure that your address is current. Financial aid recipients are strongly encouraged to sign up for Direct Deposit to expedite receipt of their financial aid refunds , and to avoid any problems with returned mail for outdated addresses. Students who are on Direct Deposit will generally receive their financial aid refund from 3 to 7 days earlier than students whose refund checks are sent by land mail.