WVU Refunding Process
West Virginia University uses Tuition Management Systems (TMS) as our partner to deliver refunds to students when their student account has excess funds or a negative balance.
Registered WVU students will receive an email with instructions on how to establish your account. If you do not receive an email or lose your email, you can register by visiting WVUchoice.afford.com.
The fastest way to receive your refund is through ACH to a U.S. bank account. Once you are registered, the eRefund system is available for you to check the status of your refund, view eRefund history, update your profile or change your payment method.
Should you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at 888-425-1138. Otherwise, the FAQ’s below may assist you with any questions you have.
Q: “What happens if I do not choose a Payment Option?”
A: If a Payment Option has not been chosen, it automatically defaults to a paper check that will be mailed to the local address on STAR.
Q: “How do I change the address that the refund will be sent to?”
A: Please update your address at portal.wvu.edu and this information will be transmitted to the eRefund system the next business day (cutoff time for changes is 2:30 p.m.).
Q: “I want to change my preference. How can I do that?”
A: Login to WVUchoice.afford.com and change the preference there. If a refund is already in process, it will go to the current selected method. Once the method is changed, then any new refund will be the new preference selected.
Q: “I am trying to register but my Student ID is not working. I know it’s correct what should I do?”
A: Review your Authentication questions to make sure you are answering them correctly. If that still doesn’t work, give us a call at 888-425-1138.
Q: “I am having an issue logging in.”
A: You may encounter an issue logging in from work computers or other public computers. Try logging in from your home computer. If it still does not let you in, give us a call at 888-425-1138.
Q: “My ACH Account returned for Account Not Found. I made the change, what do I do now?”
A: Once your information has been updated, your refund request will be resubmitted within 24-48 business hours.Q: “I'm a parent who is due a refund from a Parent PLUS loan. What is my Parent ID#?”
A: Your ID number consists of the following: Student ID# + Parent First Initial + Parent Last Initial + Parent date of birth as MMYY.Sample Parent: Patty Parent who was born on 05/01/1973 and her student’s ID # is: 701123456.
Log in Question 1: Parent ID - 701123456PP0573
Question 2: Parent Date of Birth in the YYYY-MM-DD format: 1973-05-01
Question 3: Last four digits of the parents last name: RENT
Refund Due to Overpayment
Once a student has paid the balance on their student account, their e-bill should show a zero term balance. If the balance is negative due to excess financial aid or over-payment, then that balance will be refunded to the student. Student Accounts strives to send refunds to students as fast as possible. Listed below are the options to receive a refund.
- Credit Card - If your most recent payment was a credit card transaction, we will refund it to that card
- E-Check - If your most recent payment was an e-check, we will refund the balance to your checking account. There is a 14 day waiting period on all checks to guarantee clearance.
- E-Refund - If your most recent transaction was financial aid or paper check, then E-Refund is the fastest way to get your refund. Your funds can be transferred to any US bank of your choice by signing up for E-Refund. To sign up go to WVUchoice.afford.com
- Paper Check - If none of the above options apply, we will mail you a paper check made payable to the student. The check will be mailed to the mailing/local address on file in the STAR system. This process can take up to 14 business days.
Withdrawal(Summer)
Students who drop one or more classes during the first two days of the class shall be eligible for a full reduction of tuition and fees of the dropped class(es) if the remaining tuition and fee assessment falls below 12 credit hours for undergraduate students or 9 credit hours for graduate students. After the last day to add or drop classes with a W, students must fully withdraw from the university to receive a reduction in tuition and fees. Once a reduction in charges has been posted, our team will review the charges and payments (financial aid, personal payments, scholarships) to determine if a refund is due to you. The chart below shows the percentage refund based on date dropped.
Withdrawal(Fall/Spring)
Students who drop one or more classes during the first week of the semester during a full fall or spring term shall be eligible for a full reduction of tuition and fees of the dropped class(es), if the remaining tuition and fee assessment falls below 12 credit hours for undergraduate students or 9 credit hours for graduate students. After the last day to add or drop classes, students must fully withdraw from the university to receive a reduction in tuition and fees. Classes that begin after the start date of a typical fall or spring semester must be dropped before that class’s first day of class to receive a reduction. Once a reduction in charges has been posted, our team will review the charges and payments (financial aid, personal payments, scholarships) to determine if a refund is due to you. The chart below shows the percentage refund based on date dropped.GradGuard Tuition Insurance
At West Virginia University we understand that the investment you and your family make in tuition and fees is a significant one which can create a financial hardship if you are unable to complete your classes and are not eligible for a full refund of tuition and fees. Therefore, we are pleased to make available the Tuition Refund Insurance plan to help protect your education investment. Tuition Refund Insurance, provided by GradGuard™, can help refund your tuition, fees, and room/board charges, up to the annual policy limits, if you are unable to complete the semester due to a covered medical reason. This insurance program complements and enhances WVU's refund policy described below.
For additional information, including coverage details and exclusions, please visit
GradGuard or call GradGuard at 866-724-4384.
Refunding Services
West Virginia University has partnered with Tuition Management Systems, LLC to provide refund services to WVU students when a balance is who owed to the student due to an overpayment on their account.
Per Department of Education Regulations for Cash Management (34 CFR 668), below is West Virginia University’s contract with Tuition Management Systems.