Financial Aid Disbursements

Your initial financial aid offer is based on full-time enrollment (12 or more credits) for Fall and Spring, unless you are set to graduate at the end of the Fall semester, you are entering the Spring semester, or you are nearing your maximum timeframe (Satisfactory Academic Progress).  To receive aid, you must be admitted as a classified student in an eligible Associate or Certificate Degree Program, and the courses you enroll in must apply toward your degree.
If your enrollment is or will be less than full-time in the Fall and/or Spring semester, please notify Kauai CC’s Financial Aid Office in writing or by email, and your financial aid disbursement will be adjusted/revised based on your new enrollment status.  Note that only the courses that apply to your program will be considered as part of your enrollment level for financial aid.

Time frame and Method of Disbursement

Federal grants and loans and institutional grants are generally disbursed approximately 10 days prior to the start of instruction unless your award package was finalized after that time frame, or you have outstanding requirements.
State and institutional scholarship disbursements vary.  The time of disbursement depends on when the scholarship is awarded.  Some scholarships may require two disbursements for each semester.  You will be informed if any scholarship you are awarded has special disbursement dates.
External loans and scholarships are generally processed on the first day of instruction, provided we have received the funds.  If your check needs to be endorsed to the Cashier’s Office before it can be processed, our office will notify you.
All funds are processed electronically, and applied to your student account, whether or not you have any outstanding tuition/fee charges.  If you have excess funds/credit balance, the Cashier’s Office will process a refund.
Processing of Refunds for Excess Funds/Credit Balances
There are two ways to get your refund:

• Direct Deposit (Electronically):  Your refund will be processed within 3 to 5 business days from the date of your disbursement.  For refunds to be processed electronically, you must sign up for e-Refunds on your MyUH Services.
• Paper check (by Mail): Your refund will be processed the check will be mailed to the address reflected on your MyUH Services. You are responsible for maintaining the correct mailing address on your MyUH Services. Click HERE to update your address.

Enrollment Level and Enrollment Level Census Date

Enrollment levels are listed in the table below:

Each term will have an “Enrollment Level Census Date” for purposes of determining your enrollment level for financial aid award amounts.  The Enrollment Level Census Date is generally on the 23rd day of each semester. On this “census date” we will record your enrollment level (number of credits enrolled that apply to your degree program) as of that date, which will determine your eligibility for financial aid awards for the semester.  Courses that are added after this “census date” will not be included in your financial aid enrollment level for the semester.
You may still qualify for your award(s) if your enrollment level is considered to be less than full-time, however, most funds require a minimum enrollment level of half-time status.

Concurrent Enrollment

If you are concurrently enrolled in courses at other University of Hawaii Campuses those courses will automatically be evaluated and, if eligible, be included in your financial aid package.
The disbursement of your financial aid for the credits at the other campus(es) may be applied after your financial aid for your home campus courses.

Fund Disbursement Information

The information below is provided under the assumption that your award is based on full-time enrollment for an academic year.

Federal and institutional

Pell Grant and Institutional Grants:  A prorated (reduced) amount will disburse for enrollment levels less than full-time.  However, depending on your eligibility, you may not qualify for the grant(s) at enrollment levels less than full-time.  In some instances, Institutional Grants may need to be retracted.
Direct Student Loan:  All loan requirements must be completed for funds to be disbursed.  Funds will not disburse if you are enrolled at a status that is less than half-time.  If your enrollment is or will be less than half-time in the Fall and/or Spring semester, please notify Kauai CC’s Financial Aid Office in writing or by email, and your financial aid disbursement will be adjusted/revised based on your new enrollment status.  Loan amount(s) may be reduced or canceled.  
Listed below is other special disbursement information:

• First-time, first-year borrower’s loan funds are disbursed approximately 30 days after the start of the semester, per federal regulations, unless your loan funds were finalized after that time frame.
• One-semester loan borrowers’ loan funds are split into two disbursements, per federal regulations.  The first disbursement is 10 days before the first day of school unless your loan funds were finalized after that time frame.  The second disbursement is at the mid-point of the semester (mid-October for Fall-only loans and mid-March for Spring only loans).

State

Hawaii Promise Scholarship:  Fund will not disburse if you are enrolled at a status that is less than full-time.  Our office will re-evaluate your scholarship eligibility based on your less-than-full-time enrollment level.  The scholarship amount may be reduced or canceled.  Re-evaluation will be completed after the Enrollment Census Date for each semester.

What is Title IV Authorization?

Title IV financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), and Federal Direct loans. These funds will be automatically applied towards your tuition, fees, and dorm charges at any University of Hawaii campus for the current term. 
 
If you have any other charges on your student account for the current or prior term, you must pay those charges separately, unless you accept Title IV Authorization.
Examples of other charges include:

• Fees for late registration or adding/dropping classes, fees for digital course material (IDAP)
• Library or parking fines
• Miscellaneous fees or tuition from the prior term

If you accept, all charges posted on your account after you accept, can be covered by your federal financial aid. This includes all charges for the current term and up to $200 of charges from a prior term. Any excess funds will be refunded to you per our normal refund policy. 
 
If you decline or don’t answer the question, your federal financial aid will be applied ONLY towards charges for your tuition, fees, and dorms for the current term, and up to $200 for the prior term. Other miscellaneous charges and fees listed above will remain on your account. If the obligation remains unpaid, it could result in “account holds” that may block you from registering for future semesters and accessing transcripts.

How do I accept or decline Title IV Authorization?

Login to your MyUH Services to accept or decline Title IV Authorization.

• Select the appropriate campus and aid year
• Click on ‘Student Requirements’
• Click on ‘Authorization to pay for non-tuition charges’
• Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’

 
Do I need to accept or decline every year?
No, your answer will remain in effect from that point on until you notify your home campus that you would like to change your answer.
 
How do I change my answer?
If you would like to change your answer to Title IV Authorization, you should notify your home campus via email.