Financial Aid
Next Steps
Beginning Fall 2012, Returning Student Aid Notification is being sent via email, so there is no longer a hard copy mailed home. Great for the environment, yes, but perhaps not so great for parents trying to help their students manage the financial process. Please be sure to make your Financial Aid Award Notification available to your parent(s) either by printing your award letter or otherwise allowing them to access this area of your WebAdvisor account.
When you receive your aid notification…
It is no longer necessary to accept or decline the aid award itself, but depending on what you’ve done in the past, you may need to activate loans you intend to take. To learn your next step, and for instructions on applying, visit Payment Options and Loan Information.
Loan Options
Generally, federal loans (Stafford, Parent PLUS) are a better option than private (also called “alternative” loans) but if you need funding beyond that provided by the federal student loans, or if the Parent PLUS loan isn’t an option for the current year, private loans are an option. Learn more about how federal loans compare to private loans, view our private loan Lender List, and use online comparison calculators to compare private loans.
Using the SU Payment Plan
The Southwestern University Payment Plan is a convenient, flexible and effective means of financing your education by dividing your tuition bill into more manageable, interest-free installments.
Billing Information
Billing Statements for all students will be mailed home in mid-to-late July. It’s critical that all online processing (such as Payment Plan registration or loan processing) be completed prior to this date to ensure the accuracy of your statement and proper credit of funds to your student account. Use the links below for more information about your bill, or contact the Business Office with questions or concerns about your billing statement.
Keeping your Scholarships and Aid
Check out our Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.
Terms and Conditions of Aid Awards
We’ve got just what you need. It’s called “Terms and Conditions”.
What if?
Local Scholarships are Missing or Listed Incorrectly
We try our best, but we don’t always know which of the local scholarships you received in the previous year will continue, and which will not. If you think you might be missing a scholarship, just let us know the donor and amount and we’ll add it in for you. If you’re not sure, you can always view last year’s award letter via WebAdvisor and compare.
Only my merit scholarships are listed - I don’t see any need-based scholarships, grants or loans.
If you received an email notice directing you to WebAdvisor, your 2012-13 Award Letter should reflect all items for which you are eligible. Did you complete a FAFSA for 2012-13? To find out, check My Documents on WebAdvisor. If you do not see 2012-13 FAFSA listed, apply now.
If you did complete a FAFSA, but your aid award doesn’t list federal aid, you may have been flagged for Verification, and your full funding will not appear in WebAdvisor until verification is complete. If this is the case, you will receive an email notification directing you to WebAdvisor when your award is ready. To determine your Verification status, check My Documents for any outstanding documentation. The verification process is lengthy, so even if you’ve submitted all requested items, it may be mid-July before your aid award is ready.
