Direct Deposit – Frequently Asked Questions
For students who sign up for Direct Deposit, it is recommended that:
- the student be the sole owner of the bank account used to receive financial aid funds
- the student never share their mySDCCD login or password information
- the student check with their financial institution (bank, credit union) regarding any potential fees associated with direct deposit before signing up
- the student ensures they are submitting their correct routing and account numbers to prevent any delays in receiving financial aid or a potential loss of financial aid funds if incorrect bank information was provided
Q: What is Direct Deposit and how does it work?
Direct deposit is an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction where money is electronically deposited into a checking or savings account.
Q: Can any student sign up for Direct Deposit?
Direct deposit is a feature available for college students with financial aid. To be eligible for direct deposit, students must have financial aid awarded in the current aid year and must not have any financial aid or student accounting related holds.
Q: Is there a cost associated with Direct Deposit?
Each financial institution (bank, credit union) is different. Please check with your financial institution for more information on any costs associated with direct deposit before signing up for direct deposit.
Q: How do I sign up for Direct Deposit?
Login to mySDCCD and go to your College Student Dashboard. Go to your My Financial Aid pagelet and click on “Sign Up” in the direct deposit section and follow the prompts.
For step-by-step instructions, please click on this link: How to Sign Up for Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is available for enrollment and bank account updates Monday through Wednesday. Direct deposit is in “view” mode Thursday through Sunday at midnight. The deadline will be earlier if there is a holiday on Thursday and/or Friday.
Q: What is a routing number?
The routing number is located on your check or deposit slip. This is the unique identifier that identifies your bank. Your bank can provide you with this information
Q: When will my Direct Deposit funds be deposited into my checking or savings account?
Funds will be deposited on Friday, one week after the financial aid disbursement. Direct deposit funds will be distributed in the checking or savings account submitted by the student.
Note: the funds will be deposited later if there is a Thursday/Friday holiday that week.
Q: When do I have access to the money?
Your financial aid refund will be deposited directly into your account and unlike a paper check, the full amount deposited is immediately available in your account.
Q: What happens if I change banks?
Login to mySDCCD and go to your College Student Dashboard. Go to your My Financial Aid pagelet and click on “Enrolled” in the direct deposit section and follow the prompts.
For step-by-step instructions please click on this link: How to Change Direct Deposit Bank Accounts
Important: Changing a bank on direct deposit is a two-step process:
Step 1 involves adding the new bank account and
Step 2 involves assigning the new bank account to direct deposit.
Note that changes to account information must be completed on mySDCCD by 11:59pm on Wednesday to be included in the following Friday’s deposit to your updated bank account. Note: The deadline will be earlier if there is a holiday on Thursday and/or Friday.
Q: How do I cancel my Direct Deposit?
Go to mySDCCD Support Desk to submit a request to cancel your direct deposit.
Cancellation requests must be received by 12 noon on Wednesday to ensure they take effect for the current week’s Financial Aid refunds. However, cancellation requests received after 12 noon on Wednesday may still be processed depending on staff availability, but are NOT guaranteed.
***This requirement will be changed to 12 noon earlier in the week if there is a holiday (s) on a Thursday and/or Friday.
Q: Can I make changes to my Direct Deposit bank account on mySDCCD at any time?
Students must have financial aid awarded to be eligible to sign up for direct deposit. Any direct deposit changes must be made online on mySDCCD by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. for any financial aid disbursed that week, in order to have it refunded through direct deposit.
Direct deposit is available for enrollment and updates Monday through Wednesday. Direct deposit is turned off Thursday through Sunday at midnight.
Note: The deadline will be earlier if there is a holiday on Thursday and/or Friday.
Q: Who do I contact if I have problems signing up for Direct Deposit?
Note that only college students with financial aid awarded for the current aid year (with no accounting holds) can only sign up for direct deposit on mySDCCD on Monday through Wednesday only. You can view your financial aid award using the financial aid pagelet on mySDCCD.
Direct deposit enrollment and updates will be in “view” mode for students Friday through Sunday.
If you are experiencing problems signing up for direct deposit Monday through Wednesday, please go to mySDCCD Support Desk to submit a request for assistance with direct deposit enrollment.
Q: Why did my Direct Deposit fail?
If your routing number and/or account number is incorrect, then direct deposit will fail or will be deposited into the wrong bank account. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure their bank information is correct when they sign up for direct deposit.
Funds incorrectly deposited to another account due to incorrect routing and/or account numbers will require the student to work directly with the financial institution to resolve the matter. SDCCD will not be able to resolve personal disputes once the funds are deposited into the account using information submitted by the student.
Important: A direct deposit failure will cause up to a 2-week delay of your financial aid refund or a potential loss of financial aid funds if incorrect bank information was provided.
