SC

Exiting Southwestern?

GradCap&Books

ArrowsHwy

I am graduating! I am transferring
or withdrawing.

Southwestern College Graduates

First of all, congratulations on completing this important step!  If you borrowed loans at anytime to complete your degree, the federal government requires that you complete loan exit counseling

Federal Direct Loan Exit Procedure

  • Online exit counseling is located on www.studentaid.gov.  You must sign in using your FSA User ID.
  • View your complete borrowing history on the www.studentaid.gov website.  Download the MyStudentAid Mobile App  to your phone to always have the information at your fingertips.
  • Review and bookmark the Department of Education's guide to Repaying Your Federal Loans.
  • Download the 2021 Exit Counseling Guide (.pdf) from the Department of Education for your reference through repayment.
  • Check your loan history to see if you borrowed Perkins Loans at any time during the completion of your degree.  If so, complete the exit procedures for the Federal Perkins Loan program.
  • Make sure the address and email information on Self Service is accurate and up-to-date.

Federal Perkins Loan Exit Procedure

Grad Finale
In March of each year, the college sponsors a Grad Finale for the purpose of answering questions for graduates about closing out their Southwestern College experience.  Watch for emailed announcements in your inbox or the JinxTale for further information about this important event.  Information about commencement requirements and activities is also online.  Students are encouraged to review the information on this page to be fully informed about what to expect.

Questions?
The Office of Financial Aid can help you with any of your questions on graduating and loan repayment.  During the appointment we will discuss your total loan debt, repayment options you may have and exit counseling requirements.  If you prefer a face to face appointment to discuss exit procedures and loan repayment, email to make an appointment.

(back to top)


Southwestern College Transfers and Withdrawals

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to transfer to another college or withdraw from courses before completing a degree.  There are several steps to prepare your student transcript, account and financial aid for transfer to a new school.

  1. If you are a federal financial aid recipient, read and understand the college's return of funds policies for withdrawing students.
  2. Notify the Office of Financial Aid or Registrar that you plan on transferring or withdrawing from the college.
  3. Review and comply with the information about formally withdrawing from the college in the Southwestern College catalog (highlights).
  4. If you are a student loan borrower, complete loan exit counseling procedures.  This step is necessary to cancel all remaining scheduled loan disbursements so that the funds are released for the transfer school.
  5. If you are a student loan borrower, bookmark the Manage Your Loans section of the StudentAid.gov website on your favorite browser for your reference through repayment.  
  6. Communicate your plans to the Federal Direct loan servicer as well as the Perkins loan servicer.  Check the mystudentaid app to your phone using the AppleStore or Google PlayStore to discover which servicer holds your student loans.  Servicer contact information is also located on this app.  To ensure a smooth transition, monitor your loans and ensure that all servicers have been properly informed about your transfer to a new school.  You may be required to complete deferrment paperwork to keep your loans from entering repayment.
  7. Transfer your federal application information to the new school by updating the FAFSA with the new school's information.

Additional Steps for Students attending the Winfield, Residential Campus:

  1. Make an appointment with the Office of Financial Aid to complete the formal exit process and laptop return.  This step is especially important if you plan to leave mid-semester.
  2. Contact your academic advisor and activity director of your intentions to transfer or withdraw.
  3. Ensure your laptop has been returned to the Computer Center according to the lease agreement.
  4. Ensure you have returned all checked-out library items.
  5. Ensure you have properly checked out of the residence halls to avoid paying fines for room damages inflicted after your exit.

(back to top)

Formal Withdraw Procedures
Students who choose to stop attending classes before the end of a semester are considered to be withdrawn from Southwestern College.  Procedures for how to properly withdraw can be found in the course catalog:

  • Undergraduate Academic Policies: Withdrawal 
  • Graduate Academic Policies: Withdrawal

Cancellation of Charges
Cancellation of charges for withdrawing or transferring students are the same as those for students making enrollment changes.

Cancellation of Financial Aid
When students withdraw from college, a calculation is made of earned and unearned federal aid.  This calculation is required and performed per federal regulation and within 30 days of notification of the withdraw.  Earned aid is kept on the student's account.  Unearned aid is returned to the Department of Education.  Unearned aid is returned according to federal regulation first to loans and then to federal grants.  Southwestern aid, including any endowed scholarship, is cancelled according to the cancellation of charges policies.  Unless otherwise specified by the donor, state aid and all other aid is used until the student's account balance reaches zero.  Any excess is then returned to the place where it originated.  Required fund returns are charged to the student's account.  It is possible, upon completion of this process, for the student to owe a balance they must pay before being allowed to register or request a transcript.  More.

(back to withdraw steps)

Exit Procedures for Student Loan Borrowers
If you have borrowed loans at any time while in pursuit of a degree, the federal government requires that you complete loan exit counseling before exiting the institution in which you are currently enrolled.  The exit procedures are the same as those required for graduation.  If you have borrowed both Direct Loans and Perkins loans, you must also perform the exit procedures for both.

(back to withdraw steps)

Build an education.

Build an education.

Academic excellence sets SC apart.

41 main campus and 16 professional studies undergraduate majors, 27 minors, teacher certification in 13 areas, and 6 graduate programs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DEGREES