When does my aid disburse to my account?

Financial aid disbursements begin after the add/drop period each semester. Aid is disbursed on a per semester basis; therefore, only aid designated for fall semester will disburse for fall semester after add/drop. Keep in mind that student loans will be reduced by the federally required origination fee. Disbursements may be delayed if any required documents, like the MPN, are missing.

I have a credit on my account. How do I get a refund?

If you have a credit on your account, it means your financial aid exceeds your bill. You can request a refund or leave the credit for the next semester. To get a refund, select "No, I do not authorize" on Step 2 - Resources/Additional Information when accepting your award offer. Parent PLUS loan credits are refunded to the parent unless specified otherwise.

*Finalized financial aid means students have fully completed their financial aid requirements (MPN, loan counseling, etc.). Students are able to see their missing requirements on their One Stop Checklist in MyStetson.

Late fees for the Fall/Spring semesters will be calculated based on 2.5% of the outstanding balance will be charged on Sept 18 for fall & Feb 18 for spring. This percentage will be charged once per semester on the outstanding balance. Students who enroll in Stetson’s Monthly Payment Plan (MPP) will be assessed fees according to the MPP plan.

The Bursar’s Office and/or other University offices will no longer waive late fees. Late fees will not be waived for students anticipating financial aid payments. Pending financial aid must be Memoed/Authorized to be applied towards the outstanding balance. The balance due on the account is the student's responsibility. 

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program establishes lottery-funded scholarships to reward Florida high school graduates for high academic achievement. 

The Florida Bright Futures award pays on a per-credit-hour basis determined by a student’s enrollment. Stetson initially awards Bright Futures based on an expected enrollment of 16 credits per semester. After the add/drop period, the Bright Futures award will be adjusted based on the enrollment at that time and disbursed to the student’s account. If a student is enrolled in less than 16 credits, they may owe additional funds to the University for their semester bill. Students MUST be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits to receive Bright Futures.

Florida Academic Scholarship - $212 per credit hour ($212 X 16 - $3,392/semester)

Florida Medallion Scholarship - $159 per credit hour ($159 X 16 = $2,544/semester)

Eligible students have a maximum of 128 credits of Bright Futures during their college career and can receive up to 45 credits in any one academic year including fall/spring/summer.

I’m dropping a class; how will that affect my Bright Futures? 

As per state regulations, institutions are required to refund the state for any Bright Futures award amount received for courses which were dropped after the drop/add period. The student must reimburse the school for the cost of course(s) dropped after the initial disbursement at the conclusion of add/drop. Failure to reimburse the school may affect your renewal eligibility.

Current semester: If a student is currently in classes and has a Bright Futures award and then drops a class, the Bright Futures award must be reduced since it is paid on a per-credit-hour basis. This may create a balance owed to the school. If the student has an available credit balance (pending refund or overage) on their student account, the reduction in the Bright Futures award will be taken from any available credit balance before a refund is released to the student. If there is no overage pending, the student will owe the funds to Stetson for the reduced Bright Futures.

Upcoming semesters: When a continuing student’s awards are released, Stetson assumes the student will enroll in 16 credits as an undergraduate to ensure graduation in the allotted time. If the enrollment is less than 16 credits at the conclusion of the drop/add period, the Bright Futures award will be adjusted to the per-credit-hour rate before the disbursement is made.

How do I renew it? 

Students are evaluated at the end of each academic year (after spring semester) for eligibility to renew the award and must meet the following renewal GPA requirements:

Florida Academic Scholarship - minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0

Florida Medallion Scholarship – minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75    

I lost my Bright Futures award; can I appeal it? 

If a student has extenuating circumstances leading to not meeting the renewal criteria for the Florida Bright Futures award, they may submit a State Aid Request for Review (Appeal). Submission of a request for review is NOT a guarantee that aid will be reinstated.

Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance Contact Information 

(888) 827-2004 - osfa@fldoe.org 

To allow someone access to your financial and other Stetson University records:

The Office of Financial Aid cannot speak with anyone about the student's financial aid unless they are granted permission by the student.

Q: How can I get in touch with Financial Aid?

A: Visit us on the 2nd floor of the Rinker Welcome Center! 
421 N. Woodland Blvd. 
DeLand, Florida 32723 

Q: What is FATV?

A: Stetson University’s Office of Financial Aid has videos covering hundreds of topics involving financial aid at FATV. Click here to check it out!  

Please be on the lookout for our monthly Financial Aid Newsletters for important information regarding financial aid updates and reminders. If you're looking for answers to FAQs, you might be able to find them by following us on social media!

More Questions? Ask Hattie!

Visit our financial aid website at stetson.edu/administration/financial-aid and click the green bubble labeled "Questions?" in the bottom right corner of your screen to chat with Hattie. Hattie can help with general questions about admissions and financial aid.