The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is going green with a new method of handing out students financial aid refunds this quarter. They have teamed up with Higher One Bank to produce debit cards for students who receive financial aid. 

Students who have filed the proper paperwork and have been awarded refunds should have received a debit card in the mail. Students can then go to the Higher One website and choose whether to open a checking account with Higher One or have their checks deposited into their own checking account at their home bank. If students choose not to open a Higher One account they must complete more paperwork and mail it to Higher One’s offices in Connecticut. Once the school district releases checks, students who do not have a Higher One account will have to wait an extra two to three business days to receive their money.

The previous system, Banner, took seven to 10 days for students to receive their money after their accounts had been credited. The new system gets funds into the hands of students faster, said the director of De Anza College’s Financial Aid Office, Cindy Castillo.

“We can now offer text notifications, which we were not able to do in our old system,” she said.

So far, 3,427 students have activated their Higher One debit cards, according to Castillo. About 75 percent of students have chosen the new Higher One option, 24 percent have chosen to have their checks sent to their own bank account, with the remainder choosing a check. 

A Higher One automated teller machine has also been installed on the campus for students wishing to withdraw cash.

About $2.2 million has been disbursed since July for both Foothill and De Anza, said Castillo.