External Scholarship Check Disbursement

The organization awarding your scholarship should provide you with information as to how the check will be distributed.

Note: Scholarship checks are not given directly to students.

Different distribution methods require different responses and procedures.
Distribution possibilities include:

Scholarship Checks - Sent Directly To The Student

If the Scholarship check is made payable to the University of Wisconsin, you may either:

  • Write your name, student id # and effective scholarship term on the check and mail it separately or with the lower portion of your Tuition and Fee bill to:

    Bursar's Office
    21 N. Park Street, Suite 7101
    Madison, WI 53715-1218

  • Or bring the check to the Bursar's Office, and it will be applied directly onto your Tuition and Fee Student Account.
    • Window hours are 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

  • If there are no charges to pay, or the amount of the scholarship is greater than the amount of charges, the excess is refunded to the student.
    • Refund checks are mailed to student's active 'mailing' address.
    • If there is no active mailing address, the system will use an active 'home' address.
    • If neither exists, a refund cannot be processed until the student updates addresses on the http://my.wisc.edu website.

If the Scholarship check is made payable to you (the student), or jointly payable to you and the University of Wisconsin, you may:

  • Write your name, student id # and effective scholarship term on the check.
  • Endorse the check.
  • Mail it separately or with the lower portion of your Tuition and Fee bill to:

    Bursar's Office
    21 N. Park Street, Suite 7101
    Madison, WI 53715-1218

  • Or - Bring the check to the Bursar's Office.
    • Business hours are 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
    • Endorse it and it will be applied directly to your Tuition and Fee Student Account.

  • The Bursar's Office verifies eligibility requirements defined by the scholarship source, and notifies the Office of Student Financial Services when the scholarship is applied to your Tuition and Fee Student Account.

  • If there are no charges to pay, or the amount of the scholarship is greater than the amount of charges, the excess is refunded to the student.
    • Refund checks are mailed to student's active 'mailing' address.
    • If there is no active mailing address, the system will use an active 'home' address.
    • If neither exists, a refund cannot be processed until the student updates addresses on the http://my.wisc.edu website.

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Single Term Scholarship Checks - Sent To Bursar's Office

If the scholarship check is made payable to the University of Wisconsin, it is applied directly onto the student's Tuition and Fee Student Account, according to the scholarship source's specifications.

  • Scholarship checks are first applied to the student's Tuition and Fee Student Account to pay tuition and fee charges.
     
  • If there are no charges to pay, or the amount of the scholarship is greater than the amount of charges, the excess is refunded to the student.
     
    • Refund checks are mailed to student's active 'mailing' address.
    • If there is no active mailing address, the system will use an active 'home' address.
    • If neither address exists, a refund cannot be processed until the student updates addresses on the http://my.wisc.edu website.

If the scholarship check is made payable to the student, the Bursar's Office contacts the student - generally by email - to come to the Bursar's Office and endorse the check. The check is then applied directly to the student's Tuition and Fee Student Account.

  • The scholarship source should inform students as to when the scholarship check has been mailed.

  • Scholarship checks are usually received in the Bursar's office approximately one week after they are mailed.

  • If you need to know when to expect the check to arrive at the Bursar's Office, contact the scholarship source as to when they mailed or intend to mail the scholarship check.

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Academic Year Scholarship Checks - Sent To Bursar's Office

Some scholarships are awarded for an academic year. In this case, an individual check may be sent each term, or a single check for both terms of the academic year.

  • If an individual check is sent for each term, refer to the:

  • If a single check is sent for both terms of the academic year,
    • You must come to the Bursar's Office, between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, to endorse the check.
    • The scholarship check is then split and applied to each term of the academic year.
    • Scholarship checks are first applied to the student Tuition and Fee Student Account to pay charges. If there are no charges to pay, or the amount of the scholarship is greater than the amount of charges, the excess is refunded to the student.
      • Refund checks are mailed to student's active 'mailing' address.
      • If there is no active mailing address, the system will use an active 'home' address.
      • If neither address exists, a refund cannot be processed until the student updates addresses on the http://my.wisc.edu website.

NOTE: Scholarship proceeds cannot be refunded to students until the EARLIEST DISBURSEMENT DATE for each term.

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Disbursement procedures for different types of financial aid:

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