Perhaps many students on-campus have seen the mile long line of classmates, coiled around the first floor of the Administration building at the beginning of each semester, anxiously awaiting their refund checks.

"Refund checks are excess funds from federal, state institutional and external aid," said Greg Guzman, acting director of Student Financial Aid.

Refund checks are to be used for any educational related expense, Guzman said.

Educational expenses include tuition and fees, transportation like gasoline or a vehicle to commute, health expenses and any expense that goes along with living.

"Each piece of financial aid has its own definition of how it can be used," said Guzman.

For example, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant money cannot be returned to the student, Guzman said. It is not in the form of a refund check, instead it's tuition specific.

He said, on the other hand a Federal Pell Grant can be returned to the student in the form of a refund check.

"I use my refund check to help pay for school expenses like books and also to pay for basic living expenses like rent, food and utilities," said Michael Loudin, a junior.

Whatever I do not spend I save for the following semester, and then at the end of the year any extra goes back to the lender I borrow from, Loudin added.

"Students should know that their refund checks are not free money. You still have to pay it back [to lenders] when you graduate," said senior Kevin Hendrickson.

Whatever the case, those people who do get refund checks know they have to spend the money wisely, Hendrickson said.

"Refund checks are not a free for all; there is a limit to how much a student can borrow," Guzman said.

He said how much a student can borrow is all based on a federal formula.

"Simplified, cost of attendance minus the amount of the expected family contribution, equals financial need," Guzman said. "You can't exceed the cost of attendance."

Source: media.www.bgnews.com