BankMobile (recently rebranded to First Carolina Bank, Inc.) is a banking partner that Solano works with to get financial aid funds to students. Most students who receive cash aid must use BankMobile. While our office creates students' BankMobile accounts, you will still need to “activate” your account before you can receive your money.
In order to activate your account, you will need to use an activation code to link your BankMobile account with your identity. You will receive your security code in an envelope in the mail a few weeks after you become eligible for a federal or state cash aid award. Follow the instructions in the envelope to activate your BankMobile account.
Once you're logged in, you will choose your refund preference. You can choose either "Deposit to BankMobile Vibe Checking Account" or "Deposit to Existing Account." In other words, you can choose to create a bank account with bank mobile that functions like any other bank, or you can set up direct deposit so that your financial aid disbursements go directly into your personal bank account.
You may be asked to verify your identity. If you have issues with this verification, you can call BankMobile to reset the verification. If you are unable to verify your identity, they will send you a paper check. Paper checks are slower and subject to being lost in the mail or sent to an old address, so we strongly encourage all students to successfully verify their identity and choose a refund preference if possible.