Receiving your financial aid for winter term

When: First winter term payments will be deposited in bank accounts (if you have Direct Deposit) around Jan. 5.

If you do not have Direct Deposit, checks will be mailed on this date to your current address as listed on your Wolverine Access portal.

How: Follow these steps to ensure you receive your aid:

• Register at least half-time (six hours for undergraduates and four hours for graduate students) by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 22 for the first winter payment to have expected aid funds directly deposited around Jan. 5.
• After Jan. 11, students who register by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday of any given week should receive their refunds the Monday following their registration.
• Put your name on your residence hall or apartment mailbox! Be sure your name is on your mailbox before Jan. 5.
• Financial aid funds are applied toward the current term tuition, fees, and residence hall charges appearing on your student account. Any excess funds will be refunded to you by Direct Deposit (the university’s preferred method of payment; sign up in Wolverine Access) or by check mailed to your current (local) address listed on Wolverine Access.

Important Notes:

• At the time of disbursement, if you are enrolled less than full-time but at least half-time, all of your financial aid funds (except Direct Loans) will be prorated and reduced based on your level of enrollment. (You will receive aid proportional to the number of hours you take.)
• Scholarships requiring full-time enrollment will not be prorated if you are enrolled less than full-time, but will instead be fully canceled.
• Any refund you are owed resulting from cash payments will not automatically be sent to you. Instead, a credit will appear on your account. You can have the refund released to you by contacting Student Financial Services.
• Enroll by the three week Drop/Add date to be considered for aid for that course, even if your program or individual mini-course has a flexible enrollment policy.

UROP students: Please note that you must be enrolled at least full-time by the Jan. 30 Drop/Add Deadline, even if your UROP project has not been finalized. Delayed enrollment for UROP credit can not be considered toward your financial aid eligibility if the credit is not added by Jan. 30.

Is winter term the first time you are receiving aid this academic year?

Be sure that you have:

• Received a 2023-2024 Financial Aid Notice. (To view your notice, select visit the link in your email notification or navigate to your Financial Aid Awards in Wolverine Access.)
• Provided all other documents requested by the Office of Financial Aid. Find the list in Wolverine Access.
• Completed entrance counseling for your Direct Loan(s) if you are an entering undergraduate or graduate student. We are notified when this is completed.
• Completed a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note on the Federal Student Aid website, if you were awarded Direct Loan funds. Note: If you have completed a Master Promissory Note at U-M and received a loan within the last 12 months, do not complete another.
• Completed a Health Professions and/or Nursing Student Loan Master Promissory Note and a Rights and Responsibilities Statement if you were awarded any of these loan funds (see Wolverine Access: Students > Student Business > Financial Aid > Aid Year 2024 > Loans).
• Resolved any academic holds. Aid cannot be paid until the holds are lifted.

Learn More: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

As you consider your academic performance and options, we want to highlight a few important reminders for financial aid.

If you receive a non-passing grade (whether a failing grade, a NR-No Report, or a W-Withdrawal) in any fall or winter class(es), you may be asked to verify attendance or class participation. If we ask for this and you cannot verify it, your aid may be reduced.

If you are receiving financial aid under a Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation Agreement, the terms of that agreement remain active.

Please visit the SAP webpage for more information about SAP requirements, appeals, and other helpful resources. Also, please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions. We are eager to help you understand all your options in reestablishing your eligibility for aid.