Refunds

For exact dates to help you understand when to expect your Financial Aid refund, click here.

Financial Aid Refunds are processed according to the following timeline:

Financial aid refunds for credits that post to the student’s schedule after the 4^th day of classes will be processed on a weekly basis.

eREFUND is the Fastest Way to receive your refunD

• If the student is enrolled in eRefund (and completed the initial processing period) at the time that the credit is being refunded, his or her Financial Aid Refund will be processed electronically. The funds will be deposited directly into the bank account on file in the students Transact account within 3-5 business days from the refund posting to the student account. 
• See FAQ below “How do I enroll in eRefund” for further information.

NOT ENROLLED IN EREFUND

• If the student is not enrolled in eRefund (or has not yet completed the initial processing period) at the time that the credit is being refunded, his or her Financial Aid Refund will be issued via a check. 
• Refund checks will be mailed to the MAILING ADDRESS AS IT APPEARS ON STUDENT PORTAL PROFILE.  For your Refund Status, log into MyHPU and open Business & Payments under Student Services. When you see that a Financial Aid Refund has posted to your Activity Details, you can expect your check to be delivered to your Mailing Address within 10 business days of the posting.
• ALL REFUND CHECKS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE MAILED TO THE MAILING ADDRESS AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR STUDENT PORTAL. Because of the refund process, checks CANNOT be held for pickup. Please be sure to keep your contact information current in your student portal to ensure you receive your refund check in a timely manner.

Depending upon the amount of award, your Federal Student Aid Award Package will cover the following current year charges: 

• Tuition
• Student Activity Fees
• Technology Fees
• Orientation Fees
• On-Campus Housing Charges
• On-Campus Meal Plan Charges
• Shark Bundle Course Materials Charges, if you remain opted into the program

These types of charges are called INSTITUTIONAL CHARGES and are associated directly with taking a class. In some cases, your Federal Student Aid Award Package may cover NON-INSTITUTIONAL CHARGES so long as you provide authorization to Hawaii Pacific University to use these funds (see FAQ “How do I provide authorization to Hawaii Pacific University to use Financial Aid award funds”).

Non-Institutional Charges are charges which are not directly related to taking a class. They include but are not limited to:

• Prior-Term Balances
• Parking Fees/Fines
• Library Fees/Fines
• Late Fees
• Transportation/U-Pass Fee
• Replacement ID Fees
• Returned Item Fees
• Transcript Fee
• Add/Drop Fees
• Testing Fees
• Medical Insurance Fees
• Copy Fees
• Books (unless for charges from the Shark Bundle Course Materials program)

Prior to accepting your Federal Student Financial Aid Award Package offered by the Financial Aid Office, you MUST answer two questions displayed on your student portal (MyHPU).

1. Log into MyHPU and select “Accept Financial Aid” in your Quick Links.
2. Choose the Academic Year in which you would like to accept the Federal Student Financial Aid Award
3. Click on the tab “Resources/Additional Information” and indicate YES or NO to the question.

AUTHORIZE: If you authorize the use of your Federal Student Financial Aid Award funds, the Non-Institutional Charges on your student account may be paid from your financial aid if those charges are on your account at the time your Aid Award is disbursed. Charges applied to your student account AFTER your Financial Aid is refunded are the student’s responsibility to pay.

DO NOT AUTHORIZE: If you do not authorize the use of your Federal Student Financial Aid Award Funds, then Financial Aid Funds will only pay current institutional charges. The non-institutional charges will be the student’s responsibility to pay. If the unpaid balance remains on your account, a Financial Hold will be placed on your account which may prevent you from registering, obtaining transcripts, or accessing grades.

For more detailed information regarding authorization, please contact the Financial Aid Office (808.544.0253; financialaid@hpu.edu).

Under Federal law, Hawaii Pacific University MUST receive your authorization in order to cover prior year or non-institutional charges. This approval/denial is captured on your MyHPU portal when the student answers the two questions (See above FAQ). Once these two questions are answered, you will be able to move forward with your Financial Aid Acceptance process.

Your authorization is specific to the CURRENT FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC YEAR. Your authorization will remain in effect until you change one of your answers to the two questions on your MyHPU portal, even during breaks in attendance, within the Current Financial Aid Year. Once you DECLINE OR RESCIND AUTHORIZATION, your Federal Student Financial Aid Funds CANNOT PAY for Non-Institutional Charges retroactively.

Once a new Financial Aid Year begins, you will be requested to provide a new authorization by answering the two questions again.

The Parent PLUS Loan(s) credited are to pay for your tuition balance and other educational expenses owed to the University. If any excess funds remain after your current outstanding balance has been cleared, a refund amount will be calculated. If the excess is from the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, THE REFUND WILL BE MAILED DIRECTLY TO YOUR PARENT UNLESS HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY RECEIVES AUTHORIZATION FROM YOUR PARENT(S) TO RELEASE THE EXCESS FUNDS TO YOU.

If Hawaii Pacific University receives authorization from your parent(s) to release the excess funds, the refund will be processed to the student either through eRefund or physical check. 

If your parent(s) choose to provide authorization after the initial loan application, they can complete the Plus Loan Authorization form for the applicable Academic Year located here.  Once completed return the form to studentaccounts@hpu.edu. 

See FAQ “When will I receive my Financial Aid Refund?” for further information on how eRefund and check refunds are issued.   

If you have any questions regarding how your Parent PLUS Loans DISBURSED, please contact the Office of Financial Aid Office: (808) 544-0253 or financialaid@hpu.edu.

If you have any questions regarding your REFUND, please call the Business Office at (808) 356-5272 (option 3) or email studentaccounts@hpu.edu. 

Only students are allowed to enroll in eRefund.

To enroll, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your student portal (my.hpu.edu)

2. From there, click on the eRefund link which is located on the Home Page directly above the QuickLaunch. .

3. From the home screen, scroll down the page until you reach the direct deposit section. Click SIGN UP.

4. Read the direct deposit agreement. Once you are ready, select the box that says “I agree” and click the Continue button.

5. You will be prompted to enter your bank account information. Click the Continue button to move on to the final step.

6. Review the bank information you entered and click the Complete button.

For illustrative instructions on how to enroll in eRefund click here.

You will receive an email confirmation of your eRefund enrollment. Your banking information will then be verified.  This initial processing period may take up to 7 business days. Once verified, your enrollment will be complete. 

Please note that you will not receive an email confirmation if your banking information is successfully verified.  If your banking information cannot be verified during the initial processing period, you will receive an email notification advising that your banking information was entered incorrectly and requires updating. Once the updated banking information is re-submitted, the initial processing period will begin again. If no error notification is received, please assume that your enrollment is complete effective the 8th business day following the email confirmation of enrollment.

The student is responsible to ensure accurate entry of their bank account information. It is also the student’s responsibility for updating his or her account information if it changes.

If you have made changes to your bank account or would like to simply change the bank account on file, you can follow the below steps to update your bank information:

1. Log in to your student portal (my.hpu.edu)
2. From there, click on the eRefund link which is located on the Home Page directly above the QuickLaunch.
3. Click on your profile.  Then scroll down to direct deposit refund section of the page.
4. Click on eRefund.  A new window to the right will appear.
5. Click on Change.  Then click on down arrow and click new bank account.
6. Enter your designated bank account information where you would like to receive funds as direct deposit.
7. Click on Continue, review your bank information and click Complete.

You will receive an email notification confirming the change.

No, but it is highly encouraged for all students. If the student is not enrolled in eRefund (or has not yet completed the initial processing period) for Financial Aid refunds, a check will be mailed.

Overpayment refunds are generally processed to the payment method originally used, but signing up for eRefund can still help students get refunded more efficiently in the event that payment method is no longer available.

Hawaii Pacific University does not house or store your bank information.  We have contracted with a third party, Transact, to administer the eRefund program securely. Transact has advanced PCI-compliant technology that integrates directly with our ERP system. Once your bank information is entered, account numbers are encrypted and stored on a secure server and will only display masked – even to the account holder.

The student is responsible to ensure accurate entry of their bank account information. It is also the student’s responsibility for updating his or her account information if it changes.

Hawaii Pacific University reserves the right to disenroll a student from this program if they have closed their bank account on file and have not notified the school, or if the bank account information is nonexistent.  Hawaii Pacific University is not responsible for disputes over refunds if the student submitted incorrect bank account information. 

If you close the bank account on file without notifying Hawaii Pacific University Business Office in advance, and a refund is rejected by your bank, Hawaii Pacific University assumes no responsibility for processing a replacement refund until the rejected funds are returned to the school.  There may also be applicable return fees assessed onto your student account.

During the initial enrollment verification process, a prenote is sent to your bank using the account number and routing number provided to ensure the account exists.  This process does not confirm the account holder name(s) on the account.  It is the student’s responsibility to enter accurate bank account information.

The entire process takes approximately 7 business days to complete.

There is an overpayment on your account. If that overpayment is not related to Financial Aid or your released on-campus housing deposit, it is called an account credit.

An account credit is an overpayment made by the student or by a third party on behalf of the student. It can be issued as a refund so long as there are no active account charges within eBill. Alternatively, the account credit can remain on the account and apply to future charges at HPU.

Yes, as long as the account credit is valid, it can be refunded. Please note that some account credits are non-refundable. Those items include but are not limited to enrollment deposits ($200.00) or forfeited housing deposits ($400.00).

All refunds due to students will be processed automatically. There is no need to request a refund. 

If you have updated your mailing address with USPS, your mail should automatically be forwarded to your new address for up to one year.

If you have not updated your mailing address with USPS, the process for receiving a physical check will take longer.

• If it has been 14 calendar days since HPU mailed you your check, we can place a stop-payment on the check and then process a reissue. This process takes about 5 business days. Once the stop-payment/reissue is completed, please allow 7-10 days for USPS mailing. Should you receive your original paper check in the mail while you are waiting for your new check, do not try to cash it. At this point, the original check is invalid and your bank will charge you processing fees or they will simply not honor the check.
• If it has not been 14 calendar days since HPU mailed you your check, you must wait until the 14 calendar days have passed. After that, you can begin the process for stop-payment/reissue (see above).

Please visit the Business Office page specifically for international students.