Office of the Bursar

Refunds

When will I get my refund?  To receive a refund, your financial aid must be posted to your account and cause a credit balance or overpayment.  Any credit balance or overpayment is refunded on Friday, the week after the credit balance or overpayment appears.  For each semester, the first batch of refunds are issued on the Friday before classes begin and are produced weekly throughout the semester.

In some cases, class schedule changes and/or changes in financial aid eligibility may result in the student being required to repay a portion or all of the refund.  Please monitor you CougarNet account regularly.

How will I get my refund?  You Have Options!  You have the choice to receive your refunds by direct deposit to your existing bank account, or added to a SIUE MasterCard® Prepaid Debit Card issued by Citi® through SIUE.  These options are intended to give you faster and more convenient access to your financial aid and refunds.

Which option is right for me?  Compare Refund Options

What if I already have a bank account?  Then you want to choose direct deposit and have your refund sent straight to your bank account.

What if I don't want to open a bank account? Then you want to choose the SIUE MasterCard® Prepaid Debit Card issued by Citi®. 

• Make purchases anywhere MasterCard® debit is accepted. 
• Withdraw cash fee-free at Citibank® ATMs on campus. 
• Withdraw cash fee-free at any MasterCard® member bank.
• View a schedule of fees associated with the SIUE MasterCard® Prepaid Debit Card
• A Citi® ATM is located in the lower level of the Student Success Center and in the MDL Building on the Alton Campus or search for an ATM near you.

What do I need to do?

1. Update your billing address in CougarNet.
2. Wait for an email from SIUE inviting you to enroll.
3. Enroll using the zip code associated with your SIUE billing address as you login to create your password.  Select your method (direct deposit or prepaid debit card) and complete the process. Enrollment is only required once.  All future refunds will be sent in the same method.
4. You are finished unless you need to update information on your account.

Already received your invitation to enroll?
Already enrolled? Change your payment selection Update or change your banking information Update or change your contact information
Already have an SIUE MasterCard Prepaid Debit Card?