Overdraft Privilege

Eliminating overdraft fees for economic inclusivity.

As a not-for-profit financial cooperative that exclusively serves the university community, we believe in giving all our members a financial advantage. Economic inclusion is a key component of why we exist. Overdraft fees make it difficult for our most financially vulnerable member-owners to obtain the financial advantage that we promise to all our member-owners.

Whether you’re a student managing your first budget, a young alumnus starting your career, or happen to be experiencing a disruption in your normal cashflow, we believe your money should stay where it belongs, with you.

If you overdraft your account, UCU no longer charges an overdraft fee to cover the purchase.*

Giving a financial advantage to our member-owners is more than a tag line, it’s at the heart of everything we do. Eliminating overdraft fees, in addition to our high yielding University Checking Account and Best Rates in the Nation Guarantee¹, are how we fulfill our mission of giving the university community a financial advantage.

FAQS

We want to ensure our member-owners understand this fee change and the scenarios when a draw on a negative account could still result in additional fees.

What does overdrafting my account mean?

When you overdraft your account, it means that your account is short on funds to cover a transaction; UCU will cover the funds for you up to a certain amount.

How do I qualify?

UCU will automatically waive the overdraft fee for checks or ACH transactions that bring your account negative. However, enrollment in our overdraft protection program is required to have debit card transactions covered. If you do not enroll, your debit card transaction will be declined, and no fee will be charged. To enroll, please call us at 800.UCU.4510 or visit one of our advisory centers.

What about insufficient funds fees?

If you exceed the overdraft privilege amount, your account will be charged a $30 insufficient funds fee.

How long do I have to pay back any overdrawn funds?

You will have 30 days to pay back the funds that you overdrew. However, if your account has a negative balance, you will be charged $10 every 10 days that your account is negative.