Refunds

Western Michigan University processes all refunds on a regular basis. Financial aid refunds are processed regularly after the financial aid is disbursed to student accounts. 

WMU provides two options for receiving refunds:

1. Electronic refunds using the checking or savings account of choice. Signing up for electronic refunds is simple, convenient, and secure. Electronic refunds are processed two times per week.
2. Students, or parent borrowers of the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, who do not sign up for electronic refunds will have a check mailed to the local address on file at WMU. Please note, checks are only printed once a week.

Credit card overpayments

Students who have credit balances resulting from credit card payments will have the excess monies refunded back to the credit card.

Student Electronic refunds

Students may set up an electronic refund account using an existing bank account of their choice:

1. Log in to your GoWMU account.
2. Select Payment and Account Information
3. Select Electronic Refunds.
4. Select Set up Account.

Students may also change the bank account that is linked to their WMU refund at any time. There are no preselected refund options for WMU students.

Parent plus borrower electronic refunds

Federal Parent PLUS Loans that create a credit on a student account can be refunded to the student or the parent.  The parent borrower makes this selection on the loan application.  If the parent borrower chooses to have a credit balance refunded to them, that parent may sign up for electronic refunds using the checking or savings account of that parent's choice.  

The process for parents to set up electronic refunds:

1. Log in to the Authorized User or Plus Refund Login site
2. Complete Personal Profile
3. Complete Payment Profile
4. Complete Security Setting
   NOTE: Make sure to check the box under Refund Options to authorize refunds to be deposited electronically.

Parents may also change the bank account that is linked to their WMU refund at any time. There are no preselected refund options for WMU parent borrowers.

Refund checks

Students or parent borrowers who have not set up an electronic refund account will be notified of pending refunds via email - students through their wmich.edu email, and parent borrowers through the email listed on the Federal Parent PLUS Loan application. This provides students and parent borrowers with an opportunity to set up an electronic refund account within 3 days. If the student or parent borrower does not set up an electronic refund account within this time period, a check will be issued and mailed.

Where is my refund?

Please allow three to five business days for an electronic refund to be processed by your bank. Checks are printed once a week and will be mailed to the local address on file.

Credit balances that result from a check or electronic checking or savings account payment will not be processed for a refund for at least 14 days. This allows time for the transaction to clear the bank.

Students making changes to their schedule after financial aid has been posted or non-financial aid payments are made on accounts may have their refund delayed to ensure the schedule adjustments are complete.

Students dropping or withdrawing from courses will have their refunds delayed until financial aid has completed their review.  Additional information on withdrawals and refunds is available on WMU Registrar’s page.

Students who did not receive their mailed refund check or who have lost their refund check should visit Accounts Receivable in the Seibert Administration Building, call (269) 387-4141 or email acnr-refunds@wmich.edu.

Questions

Please contact the Accounts Receivable Office at (269) 387-4141 or via email at acnr-refunds@wmich.edu with questions.