Fees and Expenses

On-Campus Tuition and Fees 2023-2024

SWU Online Tuition and Fees 2023-2024

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, 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 diplomas or transcripts until all accounts with the university (including parking fines, library fines, residence hall 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.

On-Campus Program Payment Plans

Either payment in full or the first payment of approved payment plans should be received by the Student Accounts Office prior to enrollment day of the current semester.

The following are the payment plan options for the On-Campus program:

• Payment in full prior to Enrollment Day.
• Two Pay Plan - The balance on the student account is divided into two equal payments. This plan has a per semester finance charge of $30.00. A $50 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 $50 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 account is divided into four equal payments. This plan has a per semester finance charge of $70.00. A $50 late fee will be charged for any payment not received within seven days of the due date.

If payment in full or the first payment of one of the University’s payment plans has not been received by the end of the first week of class, a finance charge will be added to the student’s account. A finance charge will not exceed $70.00 for the term.  

SWU Online Payment Plans

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 account is divided into two equal payments. This plan has a per term finance charge of $30.00. A $50.00 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 $50.00 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 $50.00 late fee will be charged for any payment not received within seven days of the due date. This plan is not offered for the summer term. 
• Direct Bill Plan - Approved company tuition vouchers must be received and approved by the Student Accounts Office. If the recipient will not have 100% of their 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 for this option to be chosen. If the recipient will not have 100% of their 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 where outstanding balances for each course must be paid no later than 31days after the class ends. Payment is deferred because the student is awaiting their 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 service charge is assessed per course for this payment option.

Delinquency Policy

On-Campus students who have not met their financial obligation will be considered delinquent ten days after the current semester’s enrollment day. In addition, any On-Campus student with an outstanding balance at the end of the current semester will be considered in default.

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 sixty days past the due date. 

Should a student default on their student account charges, the student agrees 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

On-Campus Undergraduate Program

Southern Wesleyan University considers the enrollment in at least one course as a contract binding the student for charges for the entire semester. However, when withdrawal from school or a class becomes necessary, reduction in charges (tuition-only) will be made according to the following scale:

After the third week, there will be no reduction in tuition charges.

There will be no refund of fees after the first week.

Meal plans will be adjusted on a weekly basis, any part of a week counting as a whole week.

Room will be adjusted by the month, any part of a month counting as a whole month (4 weeks equal 1 month). No refunds will be made on rooms after 8 weeks (2 months).  In the event of a national pandemic, Southern Wesleyan University may consider graduating seniors in the directly affected semester as a separate group and address their rooms accordingly.

No refund will be issued to students compelled to leave school for disciplinary reasons.

No refund will be made for private music lessons missed unless the student has made proper arrangements ahead of time.

On-campus students must contact the Director of Retention 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.  Students who receive Title IV financial assistance are subject to refund policies for their financial aid that are different from the one described above. When a student withdraws, a refund calculation which determines the amount of Title IV aid earned will be used to determine the amount of funds that must be returned to the sources.

Refunds calculated are returned to sources in the following order:

1. Loan proceeds
2. Grant proceeds
3. Other federal, state, private, or institutional sources of aid.

Students receiving financial assistance may be required to repay an appropriate amount of the assistance advanced for the semester of withdrawal.

Refund schedules and examples for all Title IV programs are available from the Office of Financial Aid.

A student who wishes to withdraw should contact his or her faculty advisor, the Director of Retention, and the Office of Financial Aid before initiating a withdrawal.

Summer Refund Policy

If withdrawal is requested prior to the course start date, the student is eligible for a full tuition credit for that course.  If withdrawal is requested after the course start date but before the start of the second week, 90% of tuition (whether or not the student ever attended) will be credited.  If withdrawal is requested after the second week of the course, no tuition adjustment will be made.  There will be no refund of fees after the start of the course.

Online Programs

The following refund policies pertain to all 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 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.