Health Sciences Student Refunds

Please Note: Tufts University issues all student account credits through electronic disbursement. In order to avoid a delay in receiving your refund, you must select a refund disbursement method through the "Manage Refund" hyperlink in SIS. Tufts University delivers your refund with Bankmobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BTMX, Inc. Visit this link for more information: https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoicessso/.

To view our third-party servicer contract for refund management, click here.

Living Expense Refunds From Federal Title IV Funds (most commonly, Stafford and Perkins Loans)

Federal regulations require that we refund to you all federal aid in excess of allowable charges. However, we recommend that you sign your Title IV authorization in order for us to apply your federal aid to all of your charges. Granting this authorization will help prevent outstanding balances from remaining on your account after a refund is processed.

Allowable charges include: tuition and mandatory fees that is contracted through Tufts University.

Charges requiring your authorization include: medical insurance, parking fines, library fines and other miscellaneous charges.

To complete your Title IV authorization:

• Log in to your SIS account
• Select the Bills & Balances tab
• Click on the Title IV waiver (authorization) and follow the steps listed in SIS

Please note: Title IV authorization is not mandatory, but once granted, it will last throughout your time at Tufts. The authorization can be revoked at any time.

Title IV Example:

You are billed $15,000 in tuition and mandatory fees as well as a health insurance charge for $2,000. Your total charges are $17,000.

You receive federal aid in the amount of $17,000.

If you have NOT given Title IV authorization, you will be issued a refund of $2,000. However, you will now owe Tufts $2,000 to pay for your health insurance. With Title IV authorization, we will apply the funds automatically and your account balance would be $0.

Refund Distribution

Refunds are issued through electronic disbursement. If there is a problem processing your electronic refund, a paper check will be mailed to your current address. Paper checks will only be mailed if no electronic choice is selected (paper checks may take up to 21 days to arrive at your address). For this reason, it is important for you to maintain your current address in SIS.  Refund checks are NOT available for pick-up.  To avoid delays in obtaining your refund, be sure to designate a refund disbursement method through SIS.

Cancellation of Borrowing

If you receive a refund; but intend, within 14 days, to cancel all or part of your loan disbursement, you must return the funds to the Bursar's Office.  Returned funds can be paid in person with a check or may be paid electronically through your eBill account.  If you are returning funds by mail or through eBill, you must contact the Bursar's Office to make us aware of your desire to return funds.  You should then contact the Office of Financial Aid to request that they initiate the return of the funds to your lender.

Because there are specific Federal regulations regarding the cancellation of loans, it is helpful to discuss your plans with the OFA in advance. Ideally, decisions on borrowing should be made prior to disbursement.

If you received a refund check and do not intend to cancel your loan, your refund check should be cashed or deposited within thirty days of receipt.

Holding Credit Balances on Your Student Account

Some students request that we hold credit balances on their account toward future charges. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the Bursar's Office. No credit balances may be held beyond the end of the academic year, (technically defined as the last day of the loan period).

Other Student Refunds

Though most refunds are done automatically, if you have an overpayment resulting from other than a Federal loan disbursement, such as an Alternative loan or an outside scholarship, you should request a refund from our Office. This may also apply to students using the TuitionPay Plan and to students on full military scholarships. We can accept your request by phone, e-mail, U.S. mail, or in person. Such requested refunds are generated on the same schedule as above.

Stop-Payments on Student Refund Checks

If your refund is not received by you within 10-14 days of issuance, you need to contact the Bursar's Office. A stop-payment will be placed and we will reissue the refund. Tufts University is charged by our bank for stop-payments. A fee of $25 will be charged to your account if the lost refund was the result of an incorrect electronic disbursement method set-up or an incorrect SIS current address. 

Contact

If you have questions about student refunds, please contact the Health Sciences Bursar's Office at 617-636-6551 or hsbursar@tufts.edu.