Financial Aid and Expenses

Online and Graduate Programs

Tuition and Fee Schedule for Online and Graduate Programs
Because the cost of operations in a university depends upon numerous variables beyond the institution’s control, Southern Wesleyan University reserves the right to change all fees, schedules, and refund policies without notice at any time.

Payment of Accounts

By completing registration for any period of enrollment at Southern Wesleyan University (SWU), the student agrees to the financial responsibility for all charges on their student account. Students must make student account payments in full, or must have approval by the Office of Student Accounts and participate in one of the University’s payment plans. The University has the right to take steps to collect the balance, including but not limited to the following terms:

• Assessing a finance charge and/or late fee to delinquent accounts.
• Not releasing certificates, diplomas or transcripts until all accounts with the university (including parking fines, library fines, residence fines, athletic insurance, and student account bills) have been settled.
• Placing a student’s account with a third party collection agency.

You may make payments using personal funds by calling our Student Accounts Office at 1-800-282-8798, extension 5520 and using one of the following methods: MasterCard, Discover, VISA, eCheck, or American Express.  If a payment made to a student’s account is returned by the bank for any reason, repayment of the original amount plus a returned payment fee of $32 will be due.  Multiple returned payments and/or failure to comply with the terms of any payment plan or agreement made with Southern Wesleyan University may result in cancellation of classes and/or suspension of eligibility to register for future courses. 

Southern Wesleyan University uses student e-mail as an official method of communication with students, which means that students are responsible for reading the e-mails received from Southern Wesleyan University on a timely basis. Electronic billing on MySWU is the official billing method that Southern Wesleyan University uses, but there may be times where letters or statements may be mailed to the home address on record.  In addition, students may also be contacted on their cell phone using text messages or voicemails about important deadlines and due dates for payments.  For this reason, it is vital that students keep Southern Wesleyan University records up to date with current physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.  Upon leaving Southern Wesleyan University for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to provide updated contact information for purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts that remain due. Information can be updated by reaching out to the Academic Records Office at academicrecords@swu.edu or by calling 864-644-5530.

Students are responsible for viewing and paying their bill on MySWU.  Failure to review a bill does not constitute a valid reason for not paying a bill on time.  Administrative, clerical or technical billing errors do not absolve a student of financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition, fees and other associated financial obligations as assessed as a result of a student’s registration at Southern Wesleyan University.  Please direct any questions about billing to the Student Accounts Office at studentaccounts@swu.edu or by calling 864-644-5520. 

Payment Options

Either payment in full or the first payment of approved payment plans should be received by the Student Accounts Office on or before the first day of class in the current term.

The following are the payment plan options for SWU Online:

• Payment in full prior to first day of class.
• Two Pay Plan - The balance on the student’s account is divided into two equal payments.  This plan has a per term finance charge of $30.00.  A $25.00 late fee will be charged for any payment not received within seven days of the due date.
• Three Pay Plan - The balance on the student’s account is divided into three equal payments.  This plan has a per term finance charge of $50.00.  A $25.00 late fee will be charged for any payment not received within seven days of the due date.
• Four Pay Plan - The balance on the student’s account is divided into four equal payments.  This plan has a per term finance charge of $70.00.  A $25.00 late fee will be charged for any payment not received within seven days of the due date.
• Direct Bill Plan - Approved company tuition vouchers must be received an approved by the Student Accounts Office.  If the recipient will not have 100% of his or her bill paid through funding, a payment plan for the remaining balance must be selected.
• Veteran’s Assistance - Signed and approved forms must be on file with SWU’s VA representative in the Office of Academic Records for this option to be chosen.  If the recipient will not have 100% of his or her bill paid through funding, a payment plan for the remaining balance must be selected.
• Deferred Billing - Signed and approved deferred billing forms must be on file with Student Accounts for this option to be chosen.  Deferred billing is a delayed payment option in which outstanding balances for each course must be paid no later than 31 days after the class ends.  Payment is deferred because the student is awaiting his or her employer’s reimbursement.  To qualify for this option, the employer must be able to reimburse the student for at least 75% of tuition cost per year.  There is a $20.00 service charge assessed per course for this payment option.  

Delinquency Policy

In general, SWU Online students who have not met their financial obligation will be considered delinquent ten days after beginning the first course of the current term.  In addition, any SWU Online student with an outstanding balance at the end of the current term will be considered in default.  A SWU Online student participating in Deferred Billing is considered delinquent 32 days after course end date, allowing students 31 days to remit payment.  Those participating in Direct Billing will be considered delinquent 60 days past the due date.

Should a student default on their student account charges, they agree to reimburse the University the fees of any collection agency, which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 33%. In the event the University has to incur any costs or expenses in collecting the student’s account, the student agrees to reimburse all of the University’s cost of collection. This includes reasonable collection, attorney, and litigation fees incurred by the University in efforts to collect. The student authorizes the University to release financial information about his/her account to those concerned with collecting the balance.

AUTHORIZATION- By completing registration for any period of enrollment at Southern Wesleyan University, the student authorizes the University, its vendor partners, its collection agencies, and its respective agents and contractors to contact them regarding their loan request, loan(s), including repayment of my loan(s), and/ or student account at the current or any future number that the student provides for their cellular phone or other wireless device using automated telephone dialing equipment or artificial or pre-recorded voice or text messages.

CHANGE OF STATUS- The student will inform the University of any change in their name, address, telephone number, Social Security Number, or driver’s license number.  Information can be updated by reaching out to Academic Records Office at academicrecords@swu.edu or by calling 864-644-5530.

Refund Policies

The following refund policies pertain to all SWU Online programs:

1. Application fees are not refundable. Tuition deposits are refundable upon request, if student does not enroll.
2. If submission of appropriate withdrawal paperwork is received prior to the course start date, the student is eligible for a full-tuition credit for that course.
3. If submission of appropriate withdrawal paperwork is received after the course start date but before the start of the second week, 90% of the tuition (whether or not the student ever attended) will be credited.
4. There is no refund of fees after the start of the course.
5. No refund is given after the start of the second week except on appeal. Appeals may be granted only in rare situations involving death in the immediate family, work transfer, military obligations, or serious personal or family illness.  

Online students must contact their academic success coach prior to initiating a withdrawal from the university. No financial adjustments will be made if the student fails to withdraw properly, and a grade of F will be assigned for each course not successfully completed.

A permanent withdrawal during an academic award period may reduce or eliminate financial aid or VA assistance and/or eligibility and require that all or part of the assistance received be refunded to the lender. 

Veterans’ Benefits

Certain armed forces veterans and dependents who qualify under federal laws administered by the Veterans’ Administration are eligible to receive educational benefits. Information about these programs is available through state or county V.A. offices or from the Office of Academic Records. Funding is available to eligible, active military students. Southern Wesleyan University participates in all educational offerings for our veterans and is a Yellow Ribbon participant. Grade point average for those receiving veterans’ benefits will be calculated on all work attempted. For certification of enrollment, those eligible should contact the Office of Academic Records.

Veteran’s benefits are considered a grant/scholarship for financial aid purposes. For that reason, total Veteran’s Benefits, in combination with other grants and scholarships, cannot exceed direct university charges for tuition, fees, room and board. In the event that Veteran’s Benefits plus other grants and scholarships exceed the student’s direct cost, other institutional aid will be reduced so as not to exceed the direct cost.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), Southern Wesleyan University adopts the following provisions for students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (CH. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.  Southern Wesleyan University will not:

• prevent the student’s enrollment;
• assess a late penalty fee;
• require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• deny the student’s access to any resources that are available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fees payment obligation.

To qualify for this provision, Ch. 33 students must provide the VA Benefits Administrator in the Office of Academic Records with a Certificate of Eligibility, and Ch. 31 students must have an authorization submitted by their caseworker.

Active Duty Military

Southern Wesleyan University offers tuition discounts to active duty military personnel and their spouses who are enrolled in SWU Online degree-seeking programs. This includes active drilling National Guardsmen and Reservists who have served in combat as evidenced by a letter from the student’s commander, stating completion of active service in combat. The Military Discount is considered Institutional Aid. A student will not be eligible to receive the Military Discount if the combination of any grant, institutional aid, and/or any governmental military benefits exceeds the cost of a course. Please contact the Student Accounts Office to be considered for this discount.

Note: Spouses of National Guard or Reservists do not qualify for discount.