Only 60 percent of students have signed up for the mandatory eRefund system since its initiation last semester.

The Bursar’s Office wanted all students to switch over to the system because it is safer, more secure and faster for students, said Bursar Brenda Holderman.

Holderman said there is a long delay when dealing with paper checks.

“Students sometimes lose their checks and sometimes checks are lost in the mail, and it takes time to … pull up the check and do the research to see if a check even cleared,” Holderman said. “At my old school, if the student never received their check, we would have to wait three weeks to stop payment and reissue another one.”

According to the Bursar’s website, students who have not signed up for eRefund will have their checks sent to their home address.

“The turnaround on the push for direct deposit was fairly low,” Holderman said. “We found that many students in this day and time, with the economy the way it is, can’t afford to have an account.”

In an effort to curb the lack of student participation in the eRefund process, the Bursar is planning to discuss eRefund accounts at new student orientation sessions this summer to get incoming freshmen and transfer students to sign up for the direct deposit.

Even though there has been some disappointment in the turnout, some students enjoy the eRefund system.

“I love it,” said Senior Sarah Johnson. “I think it’s way more convenient and it doesn’t take as long for the check to clear, compared to when you deposit it yourself.”

Junior Samantha McCauley also said she thinks the eRefund system is more convenient.

“I like it because I don’t have to go pick [the check] up, and I don’t have to make that hike from Kreischer to Administration,” McCauley said. “Most of the time if it was a big line, I would leave and come back … it’s just more convenient to just deposit in Chase instead of going through Huntington.”

Johnson said the Bursar is usually associated with negativity, but thinks eRefund is something very positive for students.

Holderman said she thinks enrollment for eRefund will increase dramatically in the next few years, even though it didn’t start as strong.

“You got these new kids coming in and they’re already technically savvy and are already used to technology, so they may take to the new system quicker than older students,” she said.