Account Refunds
- Refunds Overview
- How will my refund be processed?
- Can I receive my refund by direct deposit?
- What if my refund has been processed but I have not received it?
- Why is my refund larger than expected and I now have a balance due on my account?
- Can I leave the balance in my account for future terms?
Florida Tech has partnered with Heartland ECSI to establish RefundSelect, a program that provides processing for all student refunds. This includes all Florida Tech Online, Extended Studies, and Main Campus student refunds. Now you can receive your refund via direct deposit to your bank account or by mail with a traditional paper check. All U.S. bank accounts are eligible for direct deposit.
We recommend direct deposit for fast, safe delivery of your refund into your personal bank account.
Set up your refund method here: ECSI website. After the initial setup, all refunds will be processed the same way.
Refunds Overview
During your enrollment at Florida Institute of Technology, you may receive financial assistance and/or payments that exceed your semester tuition and fee charges. The overpayment can be received as a refund on your student account. All refunds will be processed as direct deposit or paper check through Heartland ECSI RefundSelect. Selecting your preference now ensures that your refunds are processed the same way each time. Direct deposit to your personal bank account is a much faster and safer refund method.
Students with a credit balance resulting from financial aid:
- Students ARE NOT REQUIRED to request the refund. They are processed automatically.
- For main campus and extended studies students, refunds are automatically processed after the first two weeks of classes. Any additional credit balances created after this period will be processed weekly.
Students with excess financial aid on their student account (excluding work-study), may move the funds to their Panther card to purchase books and supplies at the Campus Bookstore. Students may go to the Student Accounting/Cashier window in the Harris Commons building to fill out the transfer request.
- For Florida Tech Online students, refunds are automatically processed after the first three weeks of classes for returning students. Any additional credit balances created after this period will be processed weekly as well.
- There is a 30-day disbursement hold for students who are borrowing for the first time at Florida Tech. Refunds are automatically processed once the disbursement is processed and any additional credit balances created after the disbursement will be processed weekly.
Students with a credit balance not resulting from financial aid:
- Students ARE REQUIRED to request the refund.
- Florida Tech Online students should contact their representative at (800) 280-9918.
- Main campus and extended studies students can request their refund by:
- Visiting the Cashier Window in Student Accounting in the L3Harris Commons Building, or
- Sending an email to our Student Accounting staff at studentacctg@vaftizo.com. Include the amount of the credit balance in the written request for a refund.
- Direct deposit to your personal bank account is the fastest and safest refund method.
- If requesting a paper check, be sure that the address you provide matches the MAILING address in your PAWS account.
Students receiving Federal Title IV Funds (grants such as Pell, ACG, Smart, etc., or Loans such as Stafford, PLUS, or Perkins):
- These funds DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY PAY FOR charges in addition to tuition such as books, fees, etc. Florida Tech must have your authorization to do so.
- If you do not authorize Florida Tech to pay for additional charges, the university is required to refund the entire amount of the aid left over after covering only the tuition cost. If there are additional fees on your account and Florida Tech is not authorized to cover these costs, then your refund may result in money being owed to FIT for the additional costs that were not authorized to be covered.
- To authorize future financial aid to pay for books, fees, insurance, etc., log in to PAWS, navigate to the Financial Aid tab, and select the menu item Financial Aid Authorization.
You will be notified by email with the expected delivery date of your funds. Refunds are faster and more efficient using direct deposit. Paper checks will be sent to the preferred mailing address entered in Heartland ECSI’s RefundSelect account. Be sure that the MAILING address in PAWS matches the mailing address in Heartland ECSI’s RefundSelect account.
To update your MAILING address in PAWS:
- Log in to PAWS
- Sign in on Tracks with your username and password
- Click the PAWS icon
- Click Personal Information
- Click Update Addresses and Phones
- Update your MAILING address.
Students should verify their addresses at least once each semester (and more frequently when changing locations) to ensure the refund will be mailed to the correct address if choosing the paper check option. If you need your PAWS access reset, go to our IT Help Desk or phone (321) 674-7284 for assistance.
Students who have received a refund from financial aid and then change their registration status or do a complete withdrawal may be required to repay a portion of that overpayment to Florida Tech.
Students who are over-awarded may also be required to repay a portion of that overpayment to Florida Tech.
Students should always review their account frequently through PAWS to stay informed with their account activity.
How will my refund be processed?
Florida Tech has partnered with Heartland ECSI to establish RefundSelect, a program that provides processing for all student refunds. This includes all Florida Tech Online, Extended Studies, and Main Campus student refunds. Now you can receive your refund via direct deposit to your bank account or by mail with a traditional paper check. All U.S. bank accounts are eligible for direct deposit.
We recommend direct deposit for fast, safe delivery of your refund into your personal bank account.
Set up your refund method here: ECSI website. After the initial setup, all refunds will be processed the same way.
You will be notified by email with the expected delivery date of your funds. Refunds are faster and more efficient using direct deposit. Paper checks will be sent to the preferred mailing address entered in Heartland ECSI’s RefundSelect account. Be sure that the MAILING address in PAWS matches the mailing address in Heartland ECSI’s RefundSelect account. Students should verify their addresses at least once each semester (and more frequently when changing locations) to ensure the refund will be mailed to the correct address if choosing the paper check option. If you need your PAWS access reset, go to our IT Help Desk or phone (321) 674-7284 for assistance.
Can I receive my refund by direct deposit?
Yes! We recommend direct deposit for fast, safe delivery of your refund into your personal bank account. Direct deposit is the quickest way to get your money and eliminates address errors that may occur with mailing paper checks.
Set up your Heartland ECSI RefundSelect account profile here: ECSI website
All U.S. bank accounts are eligible for direct deposit. After the initial setup, all refunds will be processed the same way.
For help:
- Contact Heartland ECSI’s RefundSelect Customer Service Team at 1-844-760-6052.
- Contact Florida Tech's Office of Student Accounting at (321) 674-8199 or by email at studentacctg@vaftizo.com.
What if my refund has been processed but I have not received it?
Review your PAWS account to confirm that a refund has been processed and wait ten days from the date on the refund. You may then log in to your refund portal with Heartland ECSI to confirm the expected delivery date. If the expected delivery date has passed, you may contact Heartland ECSI at 844-760-6052.
Why is my refund larger than expected and I now have a balance due on my account?
Students who have received a refund from financial aid and then change their registration status or do a complete withdrawal may be required to repay a portion of that overpayment to Florida Tech.
Students who are over-awarded may also be required to repay a portion of that overpayment to Florida Tech.
Students should always review their account frequently through PAWS to stay informed with their account activity.
Students receiving Federal Title IV Funds (grants such as Pell, ACG, Smart, etc., or Loans such as Stafford, PLUS, or Perkins):
- These funds DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY PAY FOR charges in addition to tuition such as books, fees, etc. Florida Tech must have your authorization to do so.
- If you do not authorize Florida Tech to pay for additional charges, the university is required to refund the entire amount of the aid left over after covering only the tuition cost. If there are additional fees on your account and Florida Tech is not authorized to cover these costs, then your refund may result in money being owed to FIT for the additional costs that were not authorized to be covered.
- To authorize future financial aid to pay for books, fees, insurance, etc., log in to PAWS, navigate to the Financial Aid tab, and select the menu item Financial Aid Authorization.
Can I leave my financial aid credit in my account for use in future terms?
No, all credit balances from excess financial aid are refunded in full to each student every semester. By using direct deposit, you can receive the excess funds and keep them available to you for a future semester balance. We recommend direct deposit for fast, safe delivery of your refund into your personal bank account. Direct deposit is the quickest way to get your money and eliminates address errors that may occur with mailing paper checks.