Students may receive funds for a variety of reasons (e.g. overpayment in SIS financial account, student employment, reimbursement of university-related travel expense, etc). This policy applies to overpayment in a student's SIS financial account.
If a student's refund is designated for direct deposit and the direct deposit failed, the University will revoke the direct deposit enrollment and contact the student to re-enroll and update their banking information. If a student does not re-enroll in direct deposit and update their banking information, the refund will be issued by check, mailed to student's primary address in SIS. If a student resides in a University housing unit at the time of the refund process, the refund check will be mailed to the University housing unit address in SIS.
If a student's refund is designated for mailing, a check will be processed and mailed to the student's primary address in SIS. If a student resides in a University housing unit at the time of the refund process, the refund check will be mailed to the University housing unit address in SIS.
If a student's refund is a result of a Parent PLUS loan and the parent did not elect to have the credit balance refunded to the student, the refund will be issued to the parent on the loan application by a mailed check.
Students or parent(s) of a Parent PLUS loan with questions regarding the refund should contact the appropriate office. Refer to Credit Balance and Student Refund Policy. If financial aid was disbursed in the term/semester the refund was processed, questions should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@case.edu or 216.365.4530. All other questions may be directed to Student Financial Services at studentaccounts@case.edu or 216.368.2226.
The University reasonably expects payee of the student refund to clear the funds in a reasonable time frame (within 120 days). Direct deposits are considered "cleared funds" when the direct deposit is successful. Checks are considered "cleared funds" when the check is cashed by the payee. Uncleared funds are considered uncashed and a review of uncashed student refund check is done within 180 days of the original refund date.
Uncashed student refund checks are handled based on the source of funds. The University follows federally mandated guidelines for Title IV funds and State of Ohio guidelines for non-Title IV funds. That means uncashed refund checks with Title IV funds are returned to the Department of Education based on the Title IV program and returned in this order: Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Subsidized Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, FSEOG Grants. Non-Title IV funds that remain uncashed will be escheated to the State of Ohio as Unclaimed Fund.
The University will make an attempt to contact the payee before funds are returned to the Department of Education or escheated to the State of Ohio. The attempt to contact may be sent to the student's case.edu email and/or regular mail or certified mail to the permanent or local address in SIS at the time of attempt. It is the student's responsibility to monitor their case.edu email for notifications and have an updated address in SIS.