Why am I getting a refund from student loans?

Asked by: Verona Macejkovic III  |  Last update: March 23, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (37 votes)

Typically, these refunds are intended to cover school-related expenses such as off-campus housing, supplies or transportation. However, there are also cases in which students have borrowed more than they actually needed, resulting in a refund check. It's important to know that refund checks are not “free” money.

Why did I get a refund check for my student loans?

If you are being handed money from your school, you need to know where it is coming from, because in almost all cases, a refund on a student account is because of an over payment on a loan.

How do I know if I'm getting a refund from student loan forgiveness?

You will get a letter from your servicer when they process your forgiveness and it will have a date of discharge on it. This is the date that you ``officially'' hit your 20 years. Any payments that were made after that date will be refunded to you through the Treasury.

Are people getting money back from student loan forgiveness?

If you qualify for student loan forgiveness or discharge in full, and have applied if necessary, you will get a notification that you no longer need to make payments. In some cases, you may even get a refund, depending on the program you applied under.

Does every student get a refund check?

Student Refund FAQ

Financial aid refunds will be mailed to you in the form of a check unless you enroll in Direct Deposit.

Should You Even Pay Off A Student Loan?

30 related questions found

Why is my college giving me a refund?

Scholarships, grants, and loans usually disburse directly to your college to cover billed expenses. If the financial aid exceeds these costs, a refund is generated. This refund can be sent to the student or, in the case of Federal Parent PLUS Loans, sometimes to the parent, depending on the school's policies.

How do you know if you get a refund from financial aid?

Students can also call their institution's financial aid office or registrar's office to learn more, though they may direct students back to online accounts. Keep in mind that all schools may have different disbursement time periods.

How will I know if my student loan will be forgiven?

Your student loan servicer(s) will notify you directly after your forgiveness is processed. Make sure to keep your contact information up to date on StudentAid.gov and with your servicer(s). If you haven't yet qualified for forgiveness, you'll be able to see your exact payment counts in the future.

Why does my student loan say paid in full?

You may notice your former servicer has cleared your loan account. For example, your loan balance may come up as “paid in full” on your former servicer's website or on your credit report. This does not mean you've received loan forgiveness. This is part of the loan transfer process.

What is the borrower defense refund check?

If your claim is approved, you will receive a discharge related to your claim and/or a refund of payments made to ED on those loans. This means you would no longer have to make payments on those loans associated with the school that wronged you, and you may have your past loan payments refunded to you.

How do I know if I'm due a student loan refund?

You earned below the threshold

Get a refund if your annual income for a previous tax year was below the repayment threshold.

Are student loans over 20 years old being forgiven?

Yes, federal student loans may be forgiven after 20 years under certain circumstances. But only certain types of loans are eligible for forgiveness, and you must be enrolled in a qualifying repayment plan. You'll also need to stay out of default on your loans.

How are student loan refunds disbursed?

Refunds. If there are any funds from the grant or student loan disbursements left over after tuition, fees, and room and board are paid, the remaining balance — often called a “credit balance” — will be paid directly to you in the form of cash or check, or else deposited into your bank account.

Who gets the student loan forgiveness checks?

Any borrower with ED-held loans that have accumulated time in repayment of at least 20 or 25 years will see automatic forgiveness, even if the loans are not currently on an IDR plan. Borrowers with FFELP loans held by commercial lenders or Perkins loans not held by ED can benefit if they consolidate into Direct Loans.

Is a student loan refund income?

According to the IRS, student loan amounts forgiven under PSLF are not considered income for tax purposes. Learn more about the PSLF process. You won't be taxed by the federal government, but your state may tax you.

Do student loans send you a check?

Most student loan borrowers receive a student loan refund check just before the beginning of every semester. The check represents the amount left over after the school has taken out what is owed for tuition, fees and room and board (if applicable).

Why was my student loan payment refunded?

In most cases, you'll get a refund for any overpayments beyond 20 or 25 years. The extra payments made on forgiven loans will be refunded back to the most recent of these three dates: The date you reached the required number of payments for IDR forgiveness – 20 or 25 years of monthly bills.

Why are my student loans suddenly paid off?

If your student loan balance is suddenly showing zero, some of the many reasons could be: Your federal student aid or private student loans were forgiven. You've completed one of the student loan forgiveness programs. You qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), or.

Why did my student loan disappear?

Student loans disappear from credit reports 7.5 years from the date they are paid in full, charged-off, or entered default. However, education debt can reappear if you dig out of default with consolidation or loan rehabilitation. Student loans can have an outsized impact on your credit score.

Will I be notified if I qualify for student loan forgiveness?

Once we've received all of the documentation needed to determine whether you qualify for loan forgiveness, you'll be notified.

At what age do student loans get written off?

After at least 20 years of student loan payments under an income-driven repayment plan — IDR forgiveness and 20-year student loan forgiveness. After 25 years if you borrowed loans for graduate school — 25-year federal loan forgiveness.

Why did financial aid give me a refund?

A refund check is money that is directly deposited to you by your college. It is the excess money left over from your financial aid award after your tuition and additional fees have been paid. Your college may send you a check or the money may be deposited into your checking account.

How do I check the status of my student loan forgiveness?

If you've been making payments toward PSLF, you can view your progress in your My Aid page by following these steps:
  1. Log in to your StudentAid.gov account.
  2. From your Dashboard, navigate to “My Aid.”
  3. Select “View Details” to open your My Aid page, then scroll down to PSLF/TEPSLF Payment Progress.

Do you have to pay back student refunds?

This depends on whether the refund comes from a loan or a source of free money, like a grant or scholarship. Loan refunds are extra debt, and you don't want extra debt. Work with your school's financial aid office to return the excess to minimize your student loan debt later.