Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about requesting reimbursements. If you require additional help, please contact the DigiPen Office of Accounting by email at accounting@digipen.edu or by phone at (425) 629-5054.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get a Reimbursement Request Form?
You can access the Reimbursement Request Form, request a copy by email or pick up a copy from the Office of Accounting on the second floor.
Who can request a reimbursement check?
You should submit a Reimbursement Request Form if both of the following apply:
- You are a student at DigiPen
- Your tuition account has a credit balance that was created by non-federal funds, and you need it refunded as soon as possible
My parents overpaid my tuition. Can they submit a Reimbursement Request Form for themselves?
Unfortunately, no. You must sign and submit a Reimbursement Request Form yourself. You may specify on the form if a check needs to be made payable to another person or mailed to a certain address.
How soon can I receive a reimbursement check?
A reimbursement check may be issued in two to four weeks of the following events, whichever comes later:
- the date your reimbursement request was received; or
- the date a credit balance by non-federal funds appeared in your tuition account
Reimbursement requests are processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
What are the differences between federal and non-federal funds?
Non-federal funds
Any payments credited to your tuition account by a source other than the U.S. Department of Education Title IV Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are non-federal funds. Your personal funds, private loans, scholarships, and grants by the state government are a few examples of non-federal funds.
If a credit balance was created by non-federal funds, you may submit a Reimbursement Request Form and receive a reimbursement check, or you can leave the credit balance in your tuition account and apply it to future dues.
If a credit balance by non-federal funds was left in your account until graduation or withdrawal from the school, a reimbursement check is automatically sent to your last known billing address within 60 days of the change of status.
Federal funds
Any payments disbursed to your tuition account from the U.S. Department of Education Title IV Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are federal funds.
Students at DigiPen currently receive federal funds from Direct Loans, Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Work Study. All federal funds, except those for Work Study, are disbursed by crediting your tuition account. Work Study funds are only disbursed by paycheck for the work performed each month.
When federal funds are disbursed in excess of your tuition and admin/technology fees, a FSA credit balance check is automatically mailed to your billing address on file within 14 days. A reimbursement request is not required for this disbursement and will not have any bearing on your refund.
For parent borrowers, a FSA credit balance check for the excess of their Direct PLUS loan will be mailed to them unless the borrower has transferred the rights to excess funds to the student. This transfer must be made in writing to the Office of Financial Aid.
My account has a credit balance, but I don‘t know if it was from federal or non-federal funds. Can I submit a Reimbursement Request Form anyway?
Yes. If you are not certain of the source of the overpayment, you may still submit a Reimbursement Request Form so that the overpayment will ultimately be refunded one way or another. A reimbursement request does not affect when an excess of federal funds is released, or to whom. However, it does prompt the school to issue a reimbursement check in the event that the overpayment was created by non-federal funds.
Can I leave a credit balance in my tuition account?
Yes. As long as the credit balance was created by non-federal funds, you can opt to leave it in your tuition account, have it applied to future dues, or have it reimbursed later. Should a credit balance remain in your account at the time of graduation or institutional withdrawal, a reimbursement check will automatically be mailed to your last known billing address within 60 days of the change of status.
I borrowed too much in a private loan, and have some money left in the tuition account. Can the school send this money back to the loan on my behalf?
Yes, in most cases. Please contact either the Office of Accounting, or the Office of Financial Aid. We will do the best that we can to accommodate your request.
Questions?
Please contact the Office of Accounting by email, phone, fax, or walk-in.