Paying Your Account
- Making A Payment
- Financing
- Application of Financial Aid
- Federal Aid Credit Balances
- Changes to Enrollment
- Student Account Guide (Main Campus)
Making a Payment
Southwestern College offers a variiety of convenient payment options. Payment instructions and policies are located on the Billing/Student Accounts website.
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Financing
For those who are unable to pay their tuition in full prior to the start of classes, Southwestern College offers interest free, installment payment plans. The Billing/Student Accounts website also has information for those students using third party tuition benefits (military education benefits, tuition assistance, and employer reimbursement)
Low-interest loans are available for families and students who would like to use financing as a way of paying their balance. For parents and graduate students, Southwestern offers the Federal Direct PLUS loan. For students, there are a variety of private loans available through private lenders. Before you decide to borrow, it is a good idea to make sure you are borrowing smart.
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Application of Financial Aid to Your Account
All federal financial aid is applied directly to the student's account. Financial aid is used to reduce any tuition, room and board charges existing on the most current statement. Financial aid is also applied to any additional charges that have been authorized by the student (for example: charges for books).
Disbursements of financial aid are made directly to student accounts ten days after the first day of classes for the summer, fall and spring terms. With a few exceptions, aid is released to accounts on a weekly basis after that. To be eligible for disbursement, students must:
- Meet all basic eligibility requirements for federal aid and have a completed financial aid file.
- Be enrolled and currently attending courses in the current semester or session.
- Have met all four measurements of satisfactory academic progress.
- Be enrolled at least half-time for the semester to receive a student loan disbursement.
Students who wish to receive a refund of a projected credit balance from their financial aid prior to aid being applied toward authorized charges may do so in writing to the Office of Financial Aid . Please be reminded that should such a request occur, students will be held financially responsible for any remaining balance on their account.
Federal Aid Credit Balances
Students who have financial aid in excess of the amount of their account balance will receive a refund of any federal aid remaining on their account once the charges have been fully paid. Refund checks are electronically deposited into bank accounts of students who have signed up for eRefund (direct deposit) or mailed within 14 days of their appearance on the statement.
Changes to Enrollment
Students who enroll in classes but then officially drop one or more courses during the enrollment period may experience changes to both their charges and financial aid.
Cancellation of Charges
Charge cancellation policies are found in the Course Catalog.
- Tuition & Fees, page 43
- Cancellation of Charges, page 46
Cancellation of Financial Aid
Changes to enrollment status affect two areas of a student's financial aid package: 1) Federal Pell Grant and 2) Cost of Attendance. Specific questions concerning how changes to enrollment status will affect individual financial aid packages may be directed to the Office of Financial Aid. Please note that in the graduate and SC Global online programs dropping a class may be considered a full withdraw from the program.
- Federal Pell Grant - In the SC Global online programs, the Federal Pell grant is adjusted throughout the semester to reflect the student's current, official enrollment status. (WD and dropped courses do not count towards official enrollment status.) Residential campus students dropping below full-time prior to the last day to drop or add courses will also experience an adjustment to their Federal Pell grant.
- Cost of Attendance - Increases and reductions to the cost of attendance may affect the amount of need-based aid the student is eligible to receive as well as the total amount of financial aid that may be awarded to a student. In the graduate and SC Global programs, adjustments to cost of attendance are made throughout the semester to reflect the student's current, official enrollment status. (WD and dropped courses do not count toward a person's enrollment status.) Residential campus students dropping below full-time prior to the last day to drop or add courses will also experience an adjustment to their cost of attendance.
When is a change in enrollment considered to be a full withdraw?
Programs that are offered in accelerated mini-sessions such as the graduate and SC Global programs are held to slightly more rigid federal standards regarding withdrawal than traditional programs offered in semesters. A student who withdraws from a mini-session within a semester may be considered to be withdrawn for the purposes of federal processing, even if the student has enrollment in a future session within the semester. If you are unclear whether or not the enrollment adjustment you are considering will affect your financial aid - please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
