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Financial Aid Refunds

Refund Timeline

Refund processing from excess financial aid credits for a term will begin either the date of disbursement, or up to a week prior to the start of the term, whichever is the latter of the two. Should a student be enrolled in the eRefund option prior to the refund being processed, the funds may be accessible in the specified eRefund account before the start of the term. Due to the changes implemented based on federal regulations, please note that the issuance of a refund does not indicate a lack of balance owed. Please monitor your student account, enroll in the eRefund option, and make payments as necessary by the posted due date(s). 

If a credit balance includes a check payment (which is not an overpayment), there is a ten working day, or two-week, waiting period before those funds are cleared by the bank and can be released.

 

Federal Regulation & Permissions

Beginning in the 2021-2022 Financial Aid year, Pepperdine University has made changes to the application of federal aid towards student account charges, and you will see the Permission Form Agreement available on your To-Do List and under the Finances section of your WaveNet Student Center. Based on the federal regulation, federal aid may only apply towards the charges based on the following categories: Authorized, Allowable, and Non-Allowable. Please see the categories below with an explanation of the differences and list of charges included in each. 

Authorized Charges

Federal Aid will automatically apply towards the following charges. 

  • Tuition
  • Room & Board
  • SGA Fees

Allowable Charges

Federal aid may apply towards these charges with the student's Permission Form signed prior to the disbursement of aid for the term. The Permission Form does not need to be completed each term, but rather once for the duration of the program, unless the permission is withdrawn in writing to the Financial Aid Office at GSEPFAid@pepperdine.edu. 

  • Course & Class Fees
  • Facility Fees
  • International Trip Fees

Non-Allowable Charges

Federal aid WILL NOT apply towards these charges, regardless of the signed Permission Form. Balances owed as a result of these charges must be paid using an accepted payment method to the student account, and payment must be made by the posted due date(s). 

  • Health Insurance
  • Miscellaneous University Fees/Fines (Health Services, Parking, Library, ID Replacement)
  • Registration Related Fees (Audit, Late Registration, Withdrawal)
  • International Trip Cancel Fees
  • Finance Charges
  • Payment Plan Fees
  • Returned Checks & Returned Check Fees

 

Refund Methods

Refunds are issued via:

  • Direct deposit to the student's bank account, if a student signs up for the eRefund option prior to the refund being processed. For step-by-step instructions, see the IT Student WaveNet Guide on enrolling in the eRefund option.
  • Physical paper check mailed to the student's local or permanent address if a student is not signed-up for the eRefund option.

Students are encouraged to sign up for eRefund to minimize the refund delivery timeline. Students who are enrolled in eRefund may expect the funds within 3-5 business days after a refund is processed. Students who are not signed up for the eRefund may expect the physical check within 2-3 weeks after a refund is processed. 

 

Refund Related Disclosures

  • Payments in excess of the amounts due may be rejected by the University and returned to the payor. Students are responsible for accurate and timely payments. Any overpayment amounts accepted by the university may be refunded at the end of the term with the student's written request. A $50 processing fee will be deducted from the amount of the refund.
  • As part of the refund process, the student's account will be audited and financial aid will be verified before a refund is processed.
  • Students who receive refunds generated by student loans should understand that their student loan balance is not reduced by the refund amount unless the student returns the amount to the student loan lender. Students who have received refund checks and who want to reduce their student loan debt may contact the Financial Aid Office at (310) 568-5775 or email GSEPfaid@pepperdine.edu for more information. The Financial Aid Office does not return or reduce amounts of loans for any uncashed refund checks without a request from the student.
  • The amount of the refund is based on the tuition charged and financial aid disbursed at the time of processing. If any financial adjustments need to be made to a student's account, the student affected will be notified of the change as quickly as possible. Please be aware that if the student receives a refund with an amount that turns out to have been too large, the student will be responsible for repaying the owing balance based on the established due date(s) and policies.
  • If a refund was processed and an outstanding balance remains, the student is responsible for accurate and timely payment(s) for the balance. For a payment to be considered "on-time", the payment must be either received by our office, or made online via eCheck, on or before the due date. Finance charges will accrue daily at a rate of .027% per day on any past due balances.

 

Refund Request

To receive a refund for any other credit balance remaining after all charges and credits are processed, the student must make a written request to the Student Accounts Office by email at GSEPSA@pepperdine.edu from the student's Pepperdine email. Any questions regarding refunds may be directed to the Student Accounts Office at (310) 568-5588 or at the above above email.