Office of Financial Aid

Disbursement

Students receive their financial aid through a process called disbursement. Financial Aid begins disbursing federal, state, and institutional aid after the 12th class day of each semester.

What Can Impact Disbursement?

To have your aid disbursed, you must accept your financial aid offer on the Financial Aid portal accessed through your TAMIU Uconnect.

Students must also be enrolled for the required hours their aid requires. Ensure you have completed any actions required to complete your financial aid file before funds are disbursed to your student account. This includes ensuring you have no financial aid holds or outstanding requirements.

Check Your TAMIU Email

It is vital that you frequently check your TAMIU email address and the Financial Aid portal on your TAMIU Uconnect. Emails are sent to inform you of updates and notifications of outstanding requirements. You may also check your financial aid status on your TAMIU Uconnect. You will receive email notifications every time your aid is adjusted.

Financial Aid Offer Adjustments & Changes

Various scenarios can impact your gift aid. We are required to adjust your financial aid offer if there are changes to:

• Your SAI (e.g., through verification or other application changes)
• Enrollment status
• If you receive outside scholarships or military benefits
• If you receive an exemption (e.g., Hazlewood, Foster Care, Valedictorian, Civil Service)
• If you receive any third-party payments (e.g., 529 education plan)
• Your final academic records

If your aid gets adjusted, you will receive an email to your TAMIU email address, which can happen throughout the academic year, even if aid has been accepted or paid out.

Remember, you must accept your financial aid offer, take care of any financial aid holds or outstanding requirements, and meet enrollment requirements before funds are disbursed.

Disbursement Dates*

*Please be aware that disbursement dates may vary based on the terms of enrollment. After the initial disbursement, subsequent disbursements will be made weekly, every Friday.

Payment of Tuition and Fees

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since financial aid awards are automatically applied to your account, you will NOT be dropped for non-payment. If you change your mind about attending TAMIU you MUST officially notify the University Registrar’s Office to drop your classes and the Office of Financial Aid to cancel your financial aid awards.

Enrollment Requirements

You’ll need to meet minimum enrollment requirements to qualify for financial aid. All financial aid programs have their own enrollment requirements.

Pell Grant and Enrollment

Beginning Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, Pell Grant will prorate based on exact enrollment per credit hour due to FAFSA simplification.

Financial Aid at Census Date

Your financial aid disbursement is based on your enrollment status as of the Census date for the term. Your credit hours for the semester become “locked” as of Census date. Adding another class after the Census won’t count toward your enrollment for financial aid. For instance, if you were part-time after the census and added more hours to try to be full-time, then you would still be considered part-time on your financial aid. You can find the Census date on the Academic Calendar.

Overawards

Overawards occur when we receive additional information not accounted for when the student was originally offered financial aid. Per federal financial aid regulations, we must resolve any overaward on a student’s account.

Common examples of changes that cause overawards include, but are not limited to:

• Receipt of Internal or External Scholarships

• Notification of Exemptions/Tuition and Fee Waivers (e.g. Hazlewood, etc.)

• Enrollment Changes

• FAFSA Corrections

In some cases, overawards will result in a balance due to the University. Students would be notified via their TAMIU email if their aid had to be modified due to an over-award.

Refunds

All TAMIU financial aid and scholarships (except for work-study) will be applied toward your tuition fees and other education charges that appear on your student bill.

If your financial aid exceeds your billing charges, the remaining amount will be refunded to the student unless the excess funds are from a Parent PLUS Loan and the parent requested the refund to be sent directly to them.

Refunds will begin to go out the week after the 12th class day of each semester. You can set up your refund choice on your TAMIU Uconnect or contact Card Services.