Refunds

Refunds are issued to students for a number of reasons including dropped courses, fee changes, and excess of funds, such as financial aid (e.g. federal loans, scholarships, etc.) or any additional payments made to cover tuition and fees. Refunds are reviewed after the end of the official add/drop period each term, which can be found on the SPH Academic Calendar.

See CUNY SPH’s Tuition Refund Policy for detailed information on refunds and withdrawals.

Important Notes:

Mandatory Fees (student activities fees, technology fees, etc.) are not refundable once classes have officially started.
To ensure the timely arrival of your refund check, your correct, current address (including your apartment number) must be on file. If you move, please make sure to update your records with the Registrar’s Office. You are also highly encouraged to enroll in Direct Deposit to ensure the fastest receipt of refunds.
It can take two to three weeks for your refund to process.
Additional fees may be incurred if you make changes to your registration status after the semester begins

Tuition Refund Schedules

Disbursements

The Office of the University Controller is responsible for the disbursement of all financial aid and refund checks. Please view these FAQs to learn more about the process.

Refunds are disbursed using the following methods:

Payments made by:	Refund Method:
Check/Money Order	Direct deposit or a check will be mailed to the address in CUNYfirst**
EFT Online	Direct deposit or a check will be mailed to the address in CUNYfirst
Credit/Debit Card	A credit will be refunded to the original payment source

**If you are receiving a financial aid refund and you choose to receive your refund via direct deposit, this refund will be distributed using the same method.

Direct Deposit

The funds will be deposited into the student’s bank account. This is the fastest, safest and most efficient way to receive your funds!

Enroll in Direct Deposit

Log-on to CUNYfirst > Student Center > CUNY Direct Deposit, click on “Enroll in Direct Deposit”.
Verify the Employee ID and User ID. Enter your password and follow the validation steps to proceed.
On the “Direct Deposit Details” page, enter your banking information.
Read the Agreement, click ‘Yes’ to agree, and click ‘Submit’ to finish the enrollment process.
The account will be listed on the “Direct Deposit” page.

Update Direct Deposit Account

If you need to update your bank account details:

Log-on to CUNYfirst > Student Center > CUNY Direct Deposit, on the ‘Direct Deposit’ page, your current active direct deposit account is displayed.
To make an update to your current direct deposit account, click on the ‘right arrow’ to continue.
Verify the Employee ID and UserID. Enter your password and follow the validation steps to proceed.
On the ‘Direct Deposit Details’ page, the detailed bank account information of your current direct deposit will be displayed.
If you want to make an update to the account number, you need to first blank out the ‘Account Number’ and the ‘Confirm Account Number’ Now you can update your bank account information.
Read the Agreement, click ‘Yes’ to agree, and click ‘Submit’ to finish the process.

For a list of FAQ’s and more information on how to enroll, click here.

Checks

A check will be mailed to the address on file in CUNYfirst. If you have recently moved or changed your contact information, be sure to update your information in CUNYfirst and with the Registrar’s Office via the Change of Name/Address/ID Request Form.

If you do not receive your check in the mail within 10 days of the mailing date or your check has been lost or stolen, contact the Bursar’s Office immediately via email at bursar@sph.cuny.edu or call us 646-364-9550 for us to conduct an investigation and for a Stop Payment Request to be completed.

Upon submission of a stop payment request, a “stop payment” will be placed on the check by CUNY’s Office of the University Controller. It may take up to four (4) weeks to receive a replacement check. We recommend students sign up for Direct Deposit for a faster, safer and more efficient way to receive your funds!