Excess aid is the difference between your university charges/bill and the amount of financial aid (federal, state, institutional, private) you have been awarded. If the difference is negative, you would expect to receive excess aid.
Example:
Tuition/Fees and Room/Board Costs $7,521.10
Total Amount of Financial Aid minus ($9,000.00)
Difference ($1,478.90) Amount of Excess Aid
Example:
Tuition/Fees and Room/Board Costs $7,521.10
Total Amount of Financial Aid minus ($6,000.00)
Difference $1,521.10 Amount owed to UCA
Where can I look to see if I expect excess aid? To determine the amount of your charges and financial aid, you should access your CashNet account through myUCA.
Can I use financial aid to purchase books? Yes. A student may utilize excess aid to purchase their course related books and supplies prior to the eighth day of classes in the fall or spring term. The amount the student may charge at the UCA Bookstore is $800 or the amount of their calculated excess aid, whichever is less. If the student chooses to purchase their books at an off campus bookstore, the student must visit with the Student Accounts Office to receive a cash disbursement.
What is direct deposit? Direct deposit is the act of having the excess aid funds electronically placed in a bank account as opposed to receiving a paper check. UCA recommends that students make use of the direct deposit capability to speed up the process of accessing excess financial aid funds. Students sign up for direct deposit through the myUCA.
When is financial aid disbursed? Financial Aid is disbursed according to the schedule outlined on the Student Accounts web page: https://uca.edu/studentaccounts/excess-aid/