MiraCosta College disburses financial aid funds approximately every two weeks throughout the semester. Find out what you can do to make sure the process goes smoothly.
How To Check The Status Of Your Financial Aid File
To check the status of your financial aid application, log onto your SURF account, click on Tasks and view your To-Do List for document requests. Click on each item to view Task Details and access the link to the forms.
To-Do List items are required documents! Determination of Financial Aid eligibility and Financial Aid disbursements can only be completed after all requested forms have been submitted. After submitting the forms, please check your SURF Tasks often. Information you provide initially may lead to additional required documents.
Most forms can be completed online or uploaded through your SURF account. If a wet signature is required you can mail the form to the Financial Aid Office. Please be aware this may delay the processing time, as we are only on campus periodically to process documents.
Award Notification And Disbursement Information
Log onto SURF, click on Financial Aid and select the aid year to review your award summary and financial aid cost of attendance. MiraCosta College disburses financial aid funds approximately every two weeks throughout the semester. Please refer to the disbursement dates chart or disbursement calendar for more information.
How Often Disbursements Take Place
MiraCosta College disburses financial aid funds approximately every two weeks beginning the week prior to the start of the corresponding semester. Please refer to the Financial Aid Office for additional information regarding disbursement dates.
Note: Initial awards are subject to change. The awards are based on 12 units of enrollment and will be reduced if a student enrolls in less than 12 units. Awards may also be reduced based on information provided on Tasks List required documents. Financial Aid funds will not be disbursed until all required items have been completed and your file has been reviewed.
Know Your Disbursement Dates
Disbursement of Pell Grants and Direct Loans* will be disbursed no sooner than one week prior to the start of the semester. For specific dates, please refer to the disbursement dates chart or disbursement calendar for more information.
How Add/Drop Dates Affect Financial Aid Eligibility
Financial aid eligibility is based on the number of units enrolled as of the full semester add/drop date for the corresponding semester. This date applies to all courses including late-start courses. Waitlisted units do not count toward enrollment. Classes added after the add/drop date will not be counted toward financial aid eligibility. Students who withdraw after the add/drop date may be required to repay a portion of their financial aid funds.
Review Your File and Complete Your To-Do List
In order to be scheduled for a disbursement, students must complete all required items on their Tasks List and have their file review completed prior to the Financial Aid Office disbursing funds (typically 10 days in advance). Students without academic history or a 0% completion rate, enrolled in distance education, must wait until the published census date for those classes before aid may be disbursed.
In What Increments Are Grants and Direct Loans Disbursed?
If your file is completed and reviewed prior to the start of the fall and/or spring semester, Pell Grants will be disbursed in two increments for the semester:
- 25% will be disbursed the week prior to the start of the semester
- 75% will be disbursed after the add/drop deadline
All other financial aid, excluding scholarships, will be disbursed in full, after the add/drop date. You can view this chart for more information.
Disbursement by Direct Deposit
MiraCosta College delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. By doing so, we are able to disburse funds to students faster and more frequently. For more information, please visit the:
