Refund FAQ’s

• The City University of New York (CUNY) offers the direct deposit option for a student to receive refunds.  An electronic direct deposit refund eliminates the risk of losing a check and the need to physically visit a bank to make a deposit. All refunds of financial aid and/or tuition and fees (except those paid with a credit card) may be issued by direct deposit.
• A student who does not opt to enroll in direct deposit will receive a check by mail. Make sure the CUNYfirst account has the correct and complete mailing address listed.
• A student who paid using a credit card(s) will have the refund posted to the credit card(s) that was used for the payment.

1. Log in to CUNYfirst​ and navigate to Self-Service > Campus Finances > Manage My Account
2. Click Add Account on the My Accounts page and enter the required account information; then click Next. 
   *TIP: Refer to your check or bank to verify your bank code (routing number) and account information.
3. Make sure you then click Enroll in Direct Deposit.
4. Select your account nickname and click Next.
5. Read the Enroll in Direct Deposit Agreement, click Yes to agree, and SUBMIT to finish.

Note: CUNY will never ask a student to confirm any personal information via email. Always sign on to CUNYfirst to process transactions and review account details.

A student may update any direct deposit information on CUNYfirst. The Office of the Bursar does not have access to a student’s banking information. Just remember to change the direct deposit information well in advance of when the refund will be issued to avoid any delays.

The refund will be processed once York College receives the financial aid payments (Direct Loan, Pell, SEOG, etc.). Always check the To-Do List on the Self Service Page on CUNYfirst to ensure that the Financial Aid Office has received all the information that is needed to properly process the financial aid. Any missing information will slow down the payment and/or the refund process.

No. Refund checks are not produced on campus.  Refunds are either directly deposited or mailed by CUNY. Please verify that your mailing address is correct in your CUNYfirst Self Service Center.

First, check your direct deposit information on CUNYfirst to confirm your banking information. If the direct deposit was not received, contact the Office of the Bursar for assistance. 

A copy of the student’s 1098-T form is available on the Self-Service Center in CUNYfirst​. To obtain a copy, log in to CUNYfirst and navigate to Campus Solutions -> Self Service -> Campus Finances -> View 1098-T.

Note: Before clicking on the link to view your 1098-T, be sure the browser's pop-up blocker is turned off.

The student may email the Office of the Bursar and leave a detailed message including name, student CUNYfirst ID number, and questions/concerns. An Office of the Bursar staff member will review the 1098-T form and contact the student.

To promote paperless incentives, CUNY offers all students an electronic Form 1098-T. To opt-out of receiving a paper 1098-T form in the mail, go to Self-Service > Campus Finances > View 1098-T and click on Grant Consent. 

The benefits of going paperless are:

• Online delivery provides access to the Form 1098-T earlier than the traditional mailing process.
• Online delivery eliminates the chance that the 1098-T will get lost, misdirected, or delayed during delivery, or misplaced once you receive it.
• Signing up for online delivery is easy and secure.
• A student may receive his or her 1098-T form even while traveling away from the mailing address.

As per FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), an Office of the Bursar staff member may not release any information about a student’s account. To give written authorization, a student must complete and submit to the Office of the Registrar the FERPA’s - Permission for Access to Educational Records form which may be found at this link:

 FERPA - Permission for Access to Educational Records

Once the student has completed the authorization form, the Office of the Bursar may proceed to provide a third party (such as a parent) with the information needed to resolve the student’s issue.