Exiting Southwestern?

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.
  • Also view your complete borrowing history on this website.
• Review and bookmark the Department of Education's guide to Repaying Your Federal Loans.
• Download the most current Exit Counseling Guide (.pdf) from the Department of Education for your reference through repayment.
• Make sure the address and email information on Self Service is accurate and up-to-date.

Federal Perkins Loan Exit Procedure

The Perkins Loan program no longer is supported by the Department of Education.  If you have a Perkins loan from Southwestern and have questions concerning its repayment, please contact Heartland ECSI.  In addition:

• Review and bookmark the Department of Education's guide to Repaying Your Federal Loans.  Pay particular attention to the section on Student Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation and Discharge.

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.

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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 your Federal Direct Loan Servicer.  Check your studentaid.gov account to discover which servicer holds your student loans.  Servicer contact information is also located in the loan details on this site. 
7. To ensure a smooth transition, monitor your loans and ensure that all servicers properly transfer your enrollment to the new school.  You may be required to complete an online form to keep your loans from entering repayment in error.
8. Correct the FAFSA to add the new school's information so they can begin processing your financial aid.

Additional Steps for Students attending the 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.  Skipping this step could result in a fine of up to $2,000 on your account.
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.

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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.

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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.

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