Questions about the 3 Week January Session and financial aid? Find answers
Spring 2025 Financial Aid Disbursement Information
Eligibility Criteria & Minimum Enrollment Requirement
Disbursement Information & Student Refunds
Why Hasn't My Financial Aid Disbursed?
What is the Financial Aid Recalculation Date and how does it impact me?
How Do Waitlisted Courses Affect My Financial Aid Eligibility?
Need Assistance with your Financial Aid?
Disbursement of Financial Aid for Spring 2025
Disbursement of financial aid is the process in which financial aid awards (grants, loans, scholarships, etc.) are posted to your student account.
Disbursement of financial aid will begin AFTER the financial aid recalculation date and continue each week throughout the semester as students complete and meet all eligibility requirements.
Get Started - Check your accepted financial aid and disbursement status
To check your disbursement status:
Step 1: Log in to MavLINK, click on the Student Accounts link, and choose "My Account".
Step 2: If you have elected direct deposit, your refund should arrive approximately 5 - 7 business days after the date beside your student refund amount. Check refunds take approximately 7 - 10 business days to process and arrive in the mail.
Learn more about:
- Financial aid eligibility and minimum enrollment requirements;
- The financial aid recalculation date and how the financial aid recalculation date may impact your financial aid eligibility; and
- Reasons aid may be delayed from disbursing to your student account.
Eligibility Criteria and Minimum Enrollment Requirement
- Generally, financial aid is initially offered based on full-time enrollment status. If you enroll less than full-time, your financial aid and cost of attendance may be adjusted. Learn more.
- To be eligible for a financial aid disbursement, you must meet all eligibility and disbursement requirements.
- Federal Pell grant funds are automatically accepted; however, you must accept all other financial aid awards for them to disburse (assuming you meet all other eligibility criteria).
You must meet all eligibility criteria, including establishing the minimum enrollment requirement.
| Type of Aid | Additional Information/Minimum Enrollment Requirement | |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Pell Grant |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Varies based on Student Aid Index (SAI) which affects the amount offered. Some students are eligible for Federal Pell Grant at a less than half-time enrollment status; eligibility varies. Your Federal Pell Grant amount is prorated based on your actual enrollment status. Students who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant according to the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculated on the 2024-2025 FAFSA will have their eligibility recalculated up to the day of the financial aid recalculation date. Amounts offered will count towards the student's Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (maximum lifetime limit). |
|
| State and Institutional Grants
|
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Students receiving State and Institutional Grants must be enrolled at a full-time enrollment level in order to be eligible. This is verified after the financial aid recalculation date. State and Institutional Grants include: Nebraska Promise |
|
| UNO Scholarships |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Varies based on the scholarship received. All scholarships offered and administered through UNO will be credited to your student account. |
|
| Susan T. Buffett Scholarship |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: All Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) scholarship recipients are required to maintain at least three-quarter time enrollment across all institutions during each term (except summer). Requests to enroll less than three-quarter time during the fall or spring semester should be submitted via electronic form to the Susan T. Buffett Foundation. Amounts are prorated based on enrollment status. Disbursement for Buffett will begin Wednesday, January 29th. Disbursement of J-Term Buffett will be mid-February. |
|
| Outside Scholarships |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Varies based on the donor. Contact your donor to obtain the minimum enrollment requirement. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, outside scholarships are divided equally between Fall and Spring semesters and will be posted to your student account. Outside scholarships of less than $1,000 may be applied entirely to the semester in which it is received. If a scholarship check is made payable to the student only, the student must inform the Office of Financial Support & Scholarships to ensure the scholarship is correctly reflected in the financial aid award. Scholarships are considered as countable financial aid. The student can then use the check proceeds according to the donor's wishes. Other exceptions are in effect when we are instructed by the donor. Outside scholarship checks are worked in date received order. Due to the high volume of checks we are receiving, please expect longer processing times. |
|
| Federal Work-Study (FWS) |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: One (1) credit hour and is dependent upon demonstrated financial aid need. |
|
| Federal Direct Loans |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Students must be enrolled in at least a half-time enrollment level in order to be eligible for a Direct Loan disbursement. First time borrowers must have completed Loan Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) prior to a disbursement being made. Need to complete? Get Started |
|
| Federal TEACH Grant |
Funds will not be disbursed until after the financial aid recalculation date. |
|
| Undergraduate Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Students must be enrolled in at least a half-time enrollment level in order to be eligible for a Direct Parent PLUS Loan disbursement. Maximum eligibility is based on cost of attendance less any other financial assistance received. For students enrolling less than full-time, the cost of attendance is adjusted after the financial aid recalculation date. If you are receiving a Parent PLUS loan and are not enrolled full-time, loan funds will not be disbursed until after the financial aid recalculation date. This is due to cost of attendance adjustments that need to be made that may cause a change in your Parent PLUS loan eligibility. This adjustment may affect the maximum amount a PLUS loan borrower can receive and loan amounts may be adjusted to prevent a financial aid overaward. |
|
| Graduate Federal Direct PLUS Loans |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Students must be enrolled in at least a half-time enrollment level in order to be eligible for a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan disbursement. Maximum eligibility is based on cost of attendance less any other financial assistance received. For students enrolling less than full-time, the cost of attendance is adjusted after the financial aid recalculation date. |
|
| Alternative (Private) Student Loans |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement: Varies based on lender criteria. Non-federal loans made by a lender such a bank, credit union, state agency, or school. |
Minimum Enrollment Requirement
|
|
Undergraduate Student | Graduate Student |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | 12 + credit hours | 9 + credit hours |
| Three-Quarter Time | 9 – 11 credit hours | 7 – 8 credit hours |
| Half-Time | 6 – 8 credit hours | 5 - 6 credit hours |
| Less Than Half Time | Less Than 6 credit hours | Less Than 5 credit hours |
Disbursement Information / Student Refunds
Financial aid funds are disbursed to your student account. The disbursement first pays the tuition and fee charges, any housing and food charges, and other institutional charges if authorized by you.
If your account at UNO pays all authorized charges and a credit balance occurs, this is considered a credit balance student refund.
Any remaining credit balance will be refunded via direct deposit (ACH) or paper check.
Once the credit balance has been posted:
Direct Deposit: Receive your refund in 5 - 7 business days.
Paper Check: Mailed to the address UNO has on file for you in 7 - 10 business days.
Direct deposit provides a secure, efficient method to receive your refund.
Learn more about financial aid refunds.
Set up direct deposit on MavLINK by choosing Student Accounts and click "Direct Deposit".
Why hasn't my financial aid disbursed?
- Financial aid "To-Do" list items in MavLINK.
- You may have aid that needs to be accepted/reduced/declined on MavLINK.
- Incomplete verification
- Failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Our staff needs to review your file prior to disbursement
- Enrollment conflicts: waitlisted courses, enrollment not meeting minimum requirements (learn more)
Why hasn't my loan disbursed?
- Have you completed Direct Loan Entrance Counseling (first time borrower)?
- Is a valid Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file?
- Do you meet the minimum enrollment requirement (half-time)?
- Parent PLUS: Did your parent complete the Parent PLUS Application for Parents and Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
What is the financial aid recalculation date? How does it impact me?
- The financial aid recalculation date is 11:59 P.M. on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
- This date is the last day you can drop courses and receive a 100% refund.
- Awards are adjusted based on your actual enrollment for the term.
- At recalculation, your cost of attendance and Federal Pell Grant will be prorated based on your actual enrollment.
- Eligibility for Federal Pell Grant payments will be based on your enrollment status at the financial aid recalculation date (Last day to DROP a course via MavLINK from the "General" session and receive a 100% refund). Enrollment status means credit hours actually registered. Any enrollments added after that date cannot be counted towards Pell Grant eligibility. Classes still in wait list status after the first week also cannot be included.
- State and Institutional Grants (including Nebraska Promise) will be cancelled if you are not enrolled full-time.
- Scholarships (including outside scholarships where the donor requires a certain enrollment level) may be cancelled if you fail to meet the minimum enrollment requirement. Some scholarships may be prorated based on enrollment status.
- Loans will be cancelled if your enrollment falls below half-time.
- Awards may be adjusted in order to keep your total financial aid offered within the cost of attendance and demonstrated financial aid need.
How do waitlisted courses affect my financial aid eligibility?
- Waitlisted courses are not considered enrolled.
- Your enrollment as of the financial aid recalculation date is what determines your final financial aid eligibility.
- If you have courses in waitlist status at the financial aid recalculation date, they cannot be considered for Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
Need assistance with your financial aid? Our staff is here to help!
The Office of Financial Support & Scholarships has experienced Financial Support Counselors available to help you with your questions. We suggest first checking our website and MavLINK especially as the first few weeks of the semester is our busiest time of the year. Our team can answer questions regarding your application status, budget resources, aid information, disbursement status, and more. Feel free to call, email, visit us in person, or make an appointment. Appointments are available via phone call and Zoom.