Disbursements

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A disbursement is the releasing and payment of your financial aid funds to pay your tuition and fees at College of Western Idaho (CWI). Until disbursement, any active financial aid you have will show as a future credit to your account.

  • View the Academic Calendar to see the first scheduled disbursement date by semester. Generally, financial aid will disburse one week after the first day of class.
    • After the first scheduled disbursement date has passed, disbursements occur on Mondays and Wednesdays, excluding federal holidays and institutional closures.
    • If you do not complete the financial aid application process by the Financial Aid Priority Deadline (listed on the Academic Calendar), your disbursement may occur after the first scheduled disbursement date.
  • Per federal requirements, CWI must confirm your academic engagement in all courses before releasing federal funds.

  • Viewing Your Student Account

    Charges, financial aid, and applicable refunds may be viewed by semester in the Student Finance section of your Self-Service Toolkit on myCWI. 

    Log in to Self-Service

    Account Activity Highlights

    1 – Charges

    Charges will include tuition, fees, and any CWI Bookstore purchases charged against your financial aid.

    2 – Financial Aid

    The amount listed under Financial Aid is the total amount of your accepted financial aid awards. 

    3 – Balance 

    Your Balance is Charges minus Financial Aid.

    • The balance displayed is what must be paid by the Tuition and Fees Deadline (see Academic Calendar). 
    • If your financial aid exceeds the charges on your student account, your balance will show as a negative amount which will then be refunded to you. A negative amount does not mean you owe that amount.

    4 – Financial Aid Award(s) 

    The financial aid award section is a breakdown of your accepted award(s):

    a – Award name and type
    b – Awarded amount
    c – Amount disbursed to your account
    d – Amount credited to your account but not yet disbursed
     

  • Refunds

    If your financial aid exceeds the charges on your student account, the excess funds will be refunded to you.

    Refunds

  • Bookstore Charging

    If you have an excess of financial aid after your outstanding charges have been paid, you may use those funds to purchase books and supplies at the CWI Bookstore.

    • Bookstore charging is available in-store and online approximately 10 days prior to the start of classes.
    • Bookstore charges will be added to your student account and paid for using your financial aid credit.

    Visit the Bookstore

  • Loan Borrowers

    • First-time student loan borrowers are required to complete entrance counseling.
    • All students who plan to borrow loans are required to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Failure to do so will prevent the loan from disbursing. An MPN is typically valid for 10 years, so most students will only need to complete it once.
    • If you wish to return your student loan or refund after it has been disbursed, please contact Financial Aid.