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Southern Wesleyan University
-Charleston

Retention


Because of SWU’s commitment to meeting the needs of adult students, our AGS programs have an 85% retention rate. 


SWU Snapshot

JoAn Hudson

“The faculty at SWU helped me discover my strengths, and more importantly gave me the time and attention I needed to overcome my weaknesses.” 

- JoAn Hudson, Ph.D.
Director, Microscopy Facility 
Advanced Materials Research Labs 

Important Links:

ADULT & GRADUATE STUDIES > Financial Aid Policy and Procedures


AGS Refund Policy:

  1. Application fees are not refundable. The Educational Resource Fee is partially refundable for materials not yet used. Refunds will not be made for books that have been marred in any way. Generally, refunds will not be made for books required in any class that the student has attended one or more times. A refund of 25% of the Educational Resource Fee will be made if withdrawal is for miscellaneous personal reasons. A refund of 90% of the Educational Resource Fee will be made for withdrawal for the following reasons: work transfer, death in the family, and serious personal or family illness. No other reasons will generally be accepted for the 90% refund. Appeals may be made to the director of student services for other personal crises.
  2. Students are eligible for a tuition refund under the following conditions:

    A. Written notification of withdrawal prior to the first workshop of a course: full tuition amount.
    B. Written notification of withdrawal prior to the second workshop of a course: 90% of the tuition amount.

  3. There is no tuition refund for a student who withdraws after the second class session or for a student who fails to withdraw properly.
  4. Students who for personal reasons are unable to complete a course may be allowed to repeat that course with another group of students if arrangements are made with the Academic Records Office prior to the end of the incomplete course.
  5. In compliance with federal regulations for the student who has received financial aid, any refund will be returned to the appropriate aid source(s).

Verification Policy

Southern Wesleyan University verifies the files of those students identified by the central processing system as requiring verification when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is returned. Therefore, the student applicant should submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after the previous year’s taxes are filed and send the FAFSA (NOT the tax forms unless requested later) to the Financial Aid Office for electronic processing. When the FAFSA has been returned to the Financial Aid Office electronically, if the file requires federally-mandated verification procedures, the student will be notified and will need to complete and submit the Verification Worksheet as well as submit a copy of the previous year’s tax form (not W2’s and/or attached schedules). The Financial Aid Office is required to certify that all information submitted is complete and consistent; in the event that questions may arise in the verification process, certain other documents may be required of the student to substantiate claims or to resolve conflicting information. Compliance with all such requests is necessary, and federal funds cannot be certified or released to a student until all such verification is complete.

Required Forms

ALL students must submit (in addition to the FAFSA), the following forms to the Financial Aid Office:

  1. SWU Financial Aid Application
  2. Promissory Note (if requesting loans)
  3. Entrance Interview Form (if requesting loans)
  4. Authorization to Retain Funds
Complete files

Students will not be certified as "financial aid students" until all documents have been received, are accurate (if not complete or inaccurate, documents may be returned to the student for completion), and verification completed (if required). Therefore, students requesting financial aid must have all documents in and all verifications complete BEFORE they begin coursework.

What is Financial Need?

Most aid is awarded based on financial need. To determine financial need, all schools use a common formula: Cost of Attendance (tuition, fees and allowable expenses) minus the Expected Family Contribution (an amount determined by the Department of Education based on information provided on the FAFSA) and minus any other types of assistance that may be received (which would include Pell grants, South Carolina Tuition Grants, veteran’s benefits, and any tuition or scholarship assistance provided by a student’s workplace). Financial aid is designed to help fill the gap between the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution and any other assistance. Financial need will affect the amount of subsidized monies and the amount of unsubsidized monies available through federal loan programs.

Contact Information for the FSA Student Loan Ombudsman's Office

E-mail: fsaombudsmanoffice@ed.gov
on-line assistance: http://www.ombudsman.ed.gov

Telephone:
877-557-2575 (toll free)
202-377-3800
202-275-0549 fax		 Mail:
U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman
830 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C 20202-5144