WWU to launch more efficient student refund process for financial aid

Western Washington University recently partnered with Higher One, a technology and payment-services company, to electronically distribute financial aid refunds (amounts in excess of tuition and fees) and other refund disbursements to students through the WWU Choice Card.

This program, which will result in faster financial aid refunds to Western students, will launch in fall 2011. The new program provides students with the expanded option to receive refunds via direct deposit to a OneAccount checking account, provided by Higher One. This checking account has no monthly fee, is FDIC-Insured, and is used in conjunction with the WWU Choice (debit) Card. Students will continue to have the option to receive refunds via direct deposit to already existing bank accounts.

Beginning in late August, students will receive a mailing with instructions for logging onto a secure website, selecting their refund preference and activating the WWU Choice Card.

Prior to the launch of this new program, less than 60 percent of WWU students received their refunds via direct deposit to their personal bank account.  The remaining 40 percent received their refunds via paper checks, a process inconvenient for students and costly for the university. This program will result in faster refunds to students as well as an opportunity for Western to avoid the costly process of distributing paper check refunds.