Refunds

Refunds are processed every Tuesday afternoon, unless there is a holiday. Funds are distributed as follows:

Check Recipients: Students who choose to receive their refund by check will have it mailed on the Friday of the week the refund is processed.

Direct Deposit: Students enrolled in Direct Deposit will receive funds electronically in their bank account on the Friday of the week the refund is processed.

Credit/Debit Card Payments: Students who paid tuition by credit or debit card will have their refund returned to the same card. Please allow 10–15 business days from the date it appears in your CUNYfirst account for the refund to show on your card statement.

CUNY offers all students the option to enroll in Direct Deposit to receive refunds electronically. To sign up, students can log in to their CUNYfirst account. Refunds for financial aid and/or tuition and fees can be issued via Direct Deposit, except for payments originally made by credit card.

Students who do not enroll in Direct Deposit will have a refund check mailed to their mailing address listed in CUNYfirst. Students should review their mailing address in the CUNYfirst Self-Service Center. 

Nelnet Payment Plan refunds will be credited back to the method of payment used.

If students have any outstanding balances, the refund may automatically be applied towards debt.

Students receiving Financial Aid, tuition refunds, or Federal Work-Study payments can enroll in Direct Deposit. This option ensures faster, more secure access to funds by depositing them directly into the student’s personal bank account—eliminating the risk of lost or misplaced checks.

Signing up is easy! Log in to your CUNYfirst account:

1. Navigate to Student Center > CUNY Direct Deposit
2. Click Enroll in Direct Deposit.
3. Enter your CUNYfirst password and click Verify.
4. You will be emailed a one-time verification code. Enter the verification code and click Verify.
5. Enter the required bank account information, agree to the terms and conditions, then click Submit.*

*Refer to your check or bank to verify your routing number, account number and account information.

Note: CUNY will never ask you to confirm personal information via email or text. Always log in to CUNYfirst to complete transactions and review account details. If you're ever unsure, contact the Bursar’s Office directly.

For additional information please click the link below.

If you completely and officially withdraw or unofficially withdraw from all your classes and receive Federal Financial Aid, you are subject to a Return of Title IV Funds calculation. A withdrawal from one class is not subject to this calculation; however, it can affect your eligibility to receive financial aid.

Federal law states that the amount of federal aid earned is determined by the amount of days the student was enrolled in class(es). The Office of Financial Aid will perform a calculation for each student subject to these rules and send a paper notification in the mail.

• You are expected to pay whatever liability is not covered by the amount of financial aid earned.
• If you earn more funds than are required to satisfy your bill, you will be sent a post-withdrawal disbursement notification so you can receive these excess funds.
• In some cases, you may be asked to return funds you received that were unearned.

Please note that students who officially or unofficially withdraw are not entitled to a tuition refund because withdrawal grades carry a liability like any other class.