Semester Disbursement and Refunds
For the Spring 2026 semester, financial aid, which includes student loans, cannot be disbursed to a student’s account until the college can confirm enrollment for the semester. This is a Federal/State financial aid requirement. The reason behind this requirement is that certain aid eligibility is based on the number of courses/units a student is registered for during the semester. Therefore, we must wait until after the Add/Drop period for course adjustments has ended and the Spring semester schedules are finalized before we can disburse aid. We anticipate this process will take place on or around February 18, 2026.
After the aid has been disbursed to the student’s account and the term bill has been paid, the Office of Student Accounts will process any credits on the account as a refund. Traditionally, it takes 14 days for the College to process a refund. For questions on the refund process or about direct deposit information, please visit the Student Accounts website:
https://studentaccounts.tcnj.edu/
Estimated Award Notifications – Newly Admitted 2026/2027 Students Only
The first run of estimated financial aid award notifications, for the 2026/2027 academic year, for NEWLY ADMITTED students, are scheduled to be sent on February 19, 2026. Please note that this is an estimated date and it is subject to change. The estimated award notices will be sent to the email address on file with the TCNJ Admissions Office. Traditionally, this is the email address reported by the student on the Common Application.
We encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible in order to be considered for any need-based aid, which includes student loans. You can read more about the FAFSA on our General FAFSA Information website. https://financialaid.tcnj.edu/general-fafsa-information/
2026/2027 Official Award Notifications
Official financial aid award notification emails for the 2026/2027 academic year are sent to the student’s TCNJ email address. The first run of official notifications are estimated to be sent on July 16, 2026. Traditionally, official award notifications are done every other week as new FAFSA records come into our system or our office is informed of new awards, such as private scholarships or loans, from students or third parties. Only complete FAFSA records will receive a notification. Students will be able to log into their PAWS account when they receive the email and view their 2026 Fall and 2027 Spring financial aid. Please make sure the 2026/2027 FAFSA is completed, the TCNJ school code (002642) is listed on the form and that there are no outstanding items on your To Do list in PAWS.
Fall bills will be sent by the Student Accounts Office on July 28, 2026, please reach out to that office with all your billing/payment questions.
https://studentaccounts.tcnj.edu/billing/billing-calendar/
2026/2027 General FAFSA Information
The FAFSA, available on October 1, 2025, has undergone changes and updates. You can read more about the changes here: General FAFSA Information
Incomplete Files/Missing Documents
We recommend students monitor their “To Do” list in PAWS (laptop/desktop computer) or Tasks Icon (cellphone) on a weekly basis for any missing documentation which may be holding up the processing of financial aid (including loans).
When submitting documents to the office, please make sure that they are legible, accurate, and signed (if required) and that all requested pages are submitted. Incomplete documentation will result in delays in processing your aid. Any/all requested documents will have instructions for submission.
