10 Online Schools that Give Refund Checks and Laptops Fast

Online schools are gradually becoming accepted by the wider academic community and just like in brick and mortar physical institutions where refund checks are given, online schools also issue refund checks back to students. Most online institutions also give laptops to their students in order to ensure they’ve met up with the technology requirements for taking the online program. Taking these into consideration we have drafted some of the online schools that give refund checks and laptops fast to everyone who signs up as a student. 

Before we look at these distant learning schools, let’s quickly get to know exactly why they give refund checks and laptops to students in the first place.

Why Do Online Schools Give Refund Checks And Laptops? 

Actually, a refund check is neither free money nor a gift. It is just part of your academic financial aid package which is in excess after your school debt has been settled. 

So although a refund check may seem like free/gift money, it actually isn’t, you will have to repay the money with some interest when you get a job. 

For the Laptops, some online colleges have made really good partnerships and really do give out free laptops. However, there are others who do not have great partnerships and for these, the cost of the laptop is added to the student’s Tuition. 

No matter how the laptops come about, the goal however, is to make it easier for students to meet the technology requirement for an online education program. 

Top 10 online Schools that give Refund Checks and Laptops Fast

Below are distant learning schools that give quick refund checks and laptops:

1. Walden University

Walden University is one of the top Online schools that give refund checks and laptops. 

The University gives students an option of collecting the refund through a paper check or through direct deposit and refunds are disbursed during the third and fourth week of every semester. 

As for the laptops, they are distributed on the first week of every semester. 

2. University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix also issues refund checks and laptops to students. The refund is given either as paper checks or as a direct deposit depending on the choice of the student. 

The refund and laptops are sent to the student within 14 days of resumption. 

3. Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University as one of the online schools that give refund checks and laptops offers students the option of a refund through a paper check, a direct deposit, or payment into the student’s BankMobile account

Students who set up a BankMobile account receive a refund within 14 days of the semester’s resumption. Else, a paper check will be mailed to the student’s address within 21 business days after the funds have been disbursed. 

4. Strayer University

With its main campus in Washington, D.C., Strayer University is a private, for-profit institution.

Strayer gives new or readmitted bachelor’s students a brand-new laptop to boost their success. In order to be eligible, you’ll need to join one of the bachelor’s online programs, and you’ll receive a laptop pre-installed with Microsoft software.

After finishing the first three-quarters of classes, you can keep the laptop.

What’s also interesting is that Strayer university offers refund checks to the students.

5. Capella University

Capella University also issues refunds to students. Students are required to choose between the paper check or direct deposit refund options. 

Once the student loan is disbursed and school debts settled it takes 10 working days to get a direct deposit refund and about 14 days for a check refund. 

6. Liberty University

At Liberty University, Eligible students will receive a refund if they have excess funds in their accounts for financial aid credit after all direct educational expenses have been paid. It may take up to 14 days to process refunds.

Just like most online schools, each student at liberty university online is required to have a laptop. Liberty University does not give free laptops but partnered with manufacturers (Dell, Lenovo, and Apple) to offer student discounts.

7. Bethel University 

Bethel University also offers a quick check refund. Depending upon the choice of the student, a paper check can be mailed or a deposit made to the student’s account. The refund is received within 10 working days once the debts owed have been settled. 

Also as a participant in the Tennessee Laptop Program, Bethel University issues free laptops to students enrolled in a graduate or career program. To be eligible for the laptop, the student must be a Tennessee resident pursuing a graduate program through Bethel’s Graduate School or College of Adult and Professional Education. 

However, free laptops are not issued to students enrolled in the Bethel University College of Arts and Sciences. 

8. Moravian College

Moravian College is another online school that offers check refunds. The college issues a free Apple MacBook Pro and iPad to every new student which they are allowed to keep after graduation. 

The college received recognition as an Apple Distinguished School in 2018.

Before becoming eligible for the laptop, however, the student must have made an enrollment deposit for the program.

9. Valley City State University

The  Valley City State University also sends check refunds to students immediately after their debts are cleared.

Also the institution has a laptop initiative of which all full-time students are given a new laptop. Part-time students also get laptops if the number of available laptops exceeds the number of full-time students. 

10. Independence University

The last on this list of online schools that give refund checks and laptops fast is Independence University. The IU offers new students free laptops immediately after they enroll in a program. 

Also, refund checks or refund deposits are made immediately after debts owed to the college have been settled. 

Other online schools that give refund checks and laptops include the Ohio State University,  St. John’s University, and Duke University.

Frequently Asked Questions for Online Schools that Give Refund Checks and Laptops

Here are some FAQs which could help you understand why online institutions offer to check refunds and laptops. 

What are refund checks?

Refund checks are basically returns from excesses in payments for a university program. 

The excesses may be a result of accumulations from the payments to the university (by one student for a program) either through student loans, scholarships, cash payments, or any other financial aid.

How do you know the Amount you will get in your Refund Check? 

Subtract the total amount paid to the University for the academic program from the actual cost of the program. This will give you the amount of money to expect in your refund check. 

When Do College Refund Checks Come Out? 

Refund checks are distributed after all debts to the university have been settled. Most universities have timelines for distributing the funds, different universities have different periods for distribution of the checks. However, students are not privy to this information. 

This is the reason why the checks sometimes appear like some miracle money dropping from the sky to your residence via mail. 

Why does the College not Send the Refund Directly back to the Source from which it came? 

The College assumes that the student needs the finance for other academic items, like textbooks and other personal academic expenses. 

For this reason, the refunds are sent to the student’s account and is not sent back to the source from which the funds came (which could be a scholarship board or a bank.)

Is a Refund Check some sort of Freebie? 

No, it isn’t. 

As a student, you should be careful with spending the refund checks. They should only be spent on necessary items. 

Most likely, if you get a refund check then that money is part of your academic loan, you will be repaying the money in the future with hefty interests. 

Therefore if you do not have any need for the refunded money, it is best to pay it back.

Why do Online Colleges Give Laptops? 

Online Colleges give laptops to all students who are enrolled to assist them to meet the requirements of the program which they have enrolled for. 

Do I have to pay for the laptops? 

Most colleges give laptops to their students for free (for some colleges, however, students pay for the laptop in their tuition fees and for some, partnership with good PC brands provides the laptops to be distributed).

However, not all colleges give free laptops, some require students to obtain the laptop at a discount, Others give out the laptops at the beginning of the program and require students to return the laptops by the end of the program. 

Does every Online College Offer laptops? 

No, not every online college offer laptops, but most do. 

Some unique colleges however distribute free Ipads to help students study. 

What are the Best Laptops for Academic Work? 

Virtually, academic work can be done on any computing device. However, there are brands that give you comfort and great processing speed, some of them are the Apple MacBook, the Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell, etc. 

What should you look out for in a laptop meant for Academic use? 

Here are some of the few things to look out for before choosing a laptop for your academics:

• Battery Life
• Weight
• Size
• The Shape of the laptop 
• It’s the Keyboard style 
• CPU – with a minimum of core i3
• RAM  speed 
• Storage capacity.

Conclusion

Good Luck as you apply to that online college that gives refund checks and laptops fast. 

Have any questions?  Use the comment section below, we will be happy to assist you. 

You might also want to check out the lowest tuition online colleges in the world as well as the online colleges that pay you to attend.