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Costs & Financial Aid

Costs & Financial Aid

Disbursement of Aid

When we disburse your financial aid, we move your financial aid from pending status to your balance due.

We will disburse aid for fall 2024 for undergraduate and graduate students based on the following schedule.

Professional students (Law, Medical, Optometry, Pharmacy) are on a separate disbursement schedule. Please refer any questions to your respective financial aid advisor.

Click here to view the Summer 2024 Disbursement Calendar.

For More Info: Disbursement FAQs


Enrollment Requirement

Fall 2024 Disbursement Date

Fall 2024 Refund Generation Date
Federal Pell Grant Program/
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Grant amount is prorated according to enrollment.

See Grant Requirements section below.

Starting
Afternoon of
Sept. 6

 

Starting
Afternoon of Sept. 9

 

State and Institutional Grants
(TEXAS Grant, Undergraduate Institutional Grant, etc.)

See Grant Requirements section below.

Starting
Afternoon of
Sept. 6, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6 

Starting Afternoon of Sept. 9, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6 

 

Scholarships

Please verify on scholarship letter

Starting 
Afternoon of 
Aug. 19, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6 

Starting 
Afternoon of 
Aug. 20, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6 

Federal Direct Loans
(Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS)

State Loan
College Access Loan (CAL)

 6 hours for undergraduate/5 hours for graduates

Starting 
Afternoon of 
Aug. 19, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6

Starting 
Afternoon of 
Aug. 20, if enrollment requirements are met by Sessions 
1, 2, 3 

First day of classes for enrollment that starts on Sessions 
4, 5, 6  

Private/Alternative Loans
(From your Lender)

 Varies by lender

Starting 
Afternoon of 
Aug. 19 (if funds are received from your lender)

Starting 
Afternoon of Aug. 20
(if funds are received from your lender)
  • Loans and Scholarships will begin disbursing the first week of classes as long as you are meeting the enrollment requirements (listed below) and as long as your classes have already started. If you are enrolled in a session that starts later in the semester, your aid will not disburse until all of your sessions start and reach the Official Reporting Day (ORD).
  • All Grants will disburse after the ORD of your latest session, if you are meeting the enrollment requirements. This allows students to make changes to their enrollment status prior to the ORD without adversely affecting their financial aid status.

 

Enrollment and Disbursement Requirements

Students must be meeting the enrollment requirements of their aid offers in order for their aid offers in a timely fashion.

Loan Requirements:

The amount of Federal Direct Loans you receive is based on your yearly eligibility and requires at least six (undergraduate/optometry/ pharmacy/medical/law) or five (graduate) hours of enrollment for the semester to be eligible to receive any amount. A completed Entrance Counseling and a signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) with studentaid.gov is required before a Federal Direct Loan disbursement will take place. State loans may require you complete a MPN, and accept terms with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board prior to disbursement. Private/alternative loan disbursements will occur when the funds are received from your lender.

As noted on your student disclosure, changes in enrollment may result in delays, adjustments or cancellation of your pending aid. All students have been offered aid based on an assumed full-time status. If you are not enrolled full time, your aid and refund may be adjusted. These adjustments will take place after ORD.

Grant Requirements:

Your grant disbursements will not occur until we have reached the Official Reporting Date (ORD) of your latest enrolled session. The delay in grant disbursement will allow you to make changes to your enrollment status without it affecting your financial aid status by the ORD period, and will reduce the risk of you owing the University money because of an over-award situation.

Type of Grant Enrollment Requirements
Federal Pell Grant Program
Federal Pell Grant Program funds initially offered to you are based on an assumed full-time (12 hours) enrollment. The amount you will actually receive is based on the number of hours you are enrolled in, as of the 12th day of class; the information you provided on the FAFSA, and your lifetime limits already utilized. Your Federal Pell Grant Program funds will be prorated to reflect your actual enrolled hours after the 12th class day of each term.
Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG)		 FSEOG funds initially offered to you are based on at least half-time (six hours) enrollment.  If you are enrolled between 1-5 credit hours, your FSEOG funds will be prorated to reflect your actual enrolled hours after the 12th class day of each term.
*Texas Public Education Grant At least nine credit hours
*TEXAS Grant At least nine credit hours
*Undergraduate or Graduate Tuition Grant At least 12 credit hours for undergraduate students. All graduate students must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours.
Other Graduate Funding  Please visit the Graduate Funding website to view the criteria to other graduate funding options.  

*Students who have applied for graduation should complete a revision request form to our office to adjust aid before disbursement.

Please note that if you have satisfied all application and disbursement requirements and met the conditions of the funding, your financial aid will be automatically credited to your UH fee bill as payment during the scheduled disbursement time. If you have financial aid remaining after your tuition has been paid, the Bursar's office, known as the Office of Student Business Services office, will forward the balance to you. For your convenience, the University of Houston utilizes BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. for refund processing. You must indicate your refund preference at https://www.refundselection.com/ and select how you would like to receive your funds. Visit this link for more information: https://disbursements.bmtx.com/refundchoices. 

For More Info: Disbursement FAQs.

Revisions and Cancellation of Aid
The University reserves the right to review, revise or cancel all financial aid at any time due to changes in your enrollment, financial and/or academic status or failure to comply with federal or state laws and regulations, including financial verification, audit procedures and University policies. In addition, all financial aid is subject to revision based on the funds received by the University from the federal or state government and any changes to federal or state laws, regulations or policies. This revision may occur after disbursement or after the semester has concluded.

Aid Revisions After Drop/Add Period
If your financial aid is disbursed at the beginning of the semester and you reduce your number of enrolled hours within the drop/add period, your aid will be adjusted to reflect your semester registration. If your reduced enrollment results in less eligibility for aid, you will be charged for the overpayment of financial aid — creating a balance due on your UH student account.

Undergraduate and Professional Enrollment

Hours Status
1 - 5 less than 1/2 time
6 - 8 1/2 time
9 - 11 3/4 time
12+ full-time

Graduate Enrollment

Hours Status
1 - 4 less than 1/2 time
5 - 6 1/2 time
7 - 8 3/4 time
9+ full-time

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