Disbursement of Scholarships and Financial Aid

Home Consumer Information Information on Student Financial Assistance Disbursement of Scholarships and Financial Aid

For Fall and/or Spring semesters

The first disbursement of aid, for eligible students, will show on student Bursar accounts. Financial aid disbursement is NOT a direct deposit into your bank account.

Generally, all OPSU scholarships, grants and loans are credited (disbursed) to your University account with the OPSU Bursar’s Office.

New students, and their parents if using the Parent PLUS Loan, should review and answer the two “Title IV Fund Authorization” questions on the Student Portal as quickly as possible, as the answers to these questions can affect the refund from the OPSU Bursar’s Office.


Title IV Authorization FAQs

Is this only for new students?

No, all students (new and continuing undergraduate) need to review the questions and answer as they prefer.

What are “Title IV” funds?

Title IV funds are federal student aid funds, from the U.S. Department of Education. They include Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized Student Loans, Direct Parent PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and Federal Work-Study.

How are Title IV funds applied to my OPSU Bursar account?

With the exception of Federal Work-Study, the Department of Education requires that Title IV funds be applied only to specific allowable (“Qualified”) charges. “Qualified” charges include:

  • Tuition,
  • Mandatory fees,
  • Housing / Meals contracted through OPSU

What does “Title IV Financial Aid Authorization” have to do with my refund from the Bursar?

If your total of Title IV funds disbursed to your Bursar account is more than the total of the “Qualified” charges, the OPSU Bursar must refund the excess to you unless you give the Bursar permission to pay for other non-qualified charges.

Non-qualified charges that cannot automatically be paid with your financial aid without your authorization include but are not limited to:

  • OPSU Bookstore charges
  • Parking permits
  • Athletic tickets
  • OPSU Health Center charges
  • Student Health Insurance
  • Other charges such as library fines and parking tickets

What happens if I don’t authorize the OPSU Bursar to use Title IV funds toward other, non-qualified charges?

Financial aid will be credited only to “qualified” charges (tuition, mandatory fees, housing/meals contracted through OPSU) and you will receive a refund of any remaining aid. You will also receive a bill from the OPSU Bursar for other “non-qualified” charges (OPSU Bookstore charges, parking permits, athletic tickets, OPSU Health Center charges, student insurance, library fines, parking tickets, etc.).

What happens if I just don’t answer the questions?

If you choose not to answer the question(s), federal regulations require the OPSU Bursar to treat the non-answer as if you had declined the option(s) and your financial aid would ONLY be used to pay for tuition, mandatory fees, and any housing/meals contracted through OPSU.

How do I review and answer the Title IV Authorization questions?

Use Title IV Questions and Terms and Conditions (PDF) to guide you through the process or you can follow these instructions:

  1. Log into the OPSU Portal at my.opsu.edu
  2. Click on the “Self-Service” icon
  3. Click on the “Financial Aid” tab
  4. Click on the “Award” link
  5. Review the “Questions from the Financial Aid Office”, indicate whether you accept or decline the option, and click “submit”.

There are two questions on the portal. How are they different?

  • The “Authorization to use Title IV Fund Payment for Current Charges” question addresses allowing Federal Title IV Aid to pay for charges other than tuition, mandatory fees, and housing/meals contracted through OSU.
  • The “Authorization to use Current-Year Title IV Federal Aid to Pay PRIOR-YEAR Charges” question addresses allowing OPSU to pay prior year charges, not to exceed $200 from Title IV aid.
  • When you review the questions online, you will see the impacts of accepting or declining each option outlined for you.

I’ve submitted my responses but have changed my mind. How do I change my responses?

Once you’ve submitted your responses online, you’ll need to contact the OPSU Financial Aid Office in Sewell Loofbourrow to change your answer(s).

Does your enrollment match your award eligibility?

Initial financial aid awards for Fall and Spring are based on the assumption of full-time enrollment each semester (12 or more hours each semester for undergraduates and 4 or more hours each semester for graduate and professional students).

Once the appropriate charges have been paid, the Bursar’s Office will process any refund that may be due to you. Financial aid disbursement is NOT a direct deposit into your bank account. If you have questions about when/how remaining financial aid is sent to your checking account or to you by mail, please contact the Bursar’s Office. Any subsequent disbursements appear on Bursar accounts on a weekly basis.

If you have any additional questions about disbursement of your financial aid after checking your status online, please contact us at the financial aid office.