Aid Disbursement Policy

Financial aid can be disbursed to a student’s Portland State University revolving charge account up to ten days prior to the start of each term. Aid will only disburse at this time if a student’s enrollment level matches their award level for the term, and there are no outstanding requirements. Our ability to disburse aid prior to the beginning of a term means that we must have a “census date” that corresponds to a student’s eligibility for grants and scholarships for a term. Census dates for the 2017-18 aid year and minimum enrollment requirements for the various financial aid programs can be found on the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships website at www.pdx.edu/finaid/eligibility. At the census date of each term each student’s final enrollment is locked. Grants and scholarships for that term are then adjusted based on the enrollment level at that time. When a reduction is required due to a student’s reduced enrollment level at the census date the reduction can create a balance due on the student’s PSU account. If there is tuition refund because of dropped credits, the tuition refund will be used to reduce the balance due on the student’s account. Credits added after the census date cannot be used to increase grant or scholarship eligibility.

Students must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Federal Direct Loans. Students who drop below half-time after their loans are disbursed will have their Cost of Attendance decreased and may therefore see a reduction in their loan amounts for subsequent terms if required to prevent an over award. Loans disbursed after the census date will be based on the student’s enrollment at the time of disbursement. Retroactive aid (aid for a term that has ended prior to disbursement) must be disbursed based on completed grades/credit hours. Grades that are considered “complete” for disbursement purposes are: A, B, C, D, P, I or IP.