Finances
This section of the bulletin contains information directly related to graduate students, but does not contain an extensive description of all Southwestern Adventist University student finance policies. For further information or clarification, please refer to Southwestern’s undergraduate bulletin.
Graduate Tuition
$760 per credit hour. Tuition includes classroom instruction, cap and gown for graduation, diploma, and use of the following: library, PC laboratories, science laboratories, gymnasium, and student center.
Fees
A technology fee of $100 per semester is required of all students.
Residence Hall & Meal Plan Packages
| Semester | Year | |
| Residence Hall | $1,760 | $3,520 |
Our Residence Hall Package includes:
- A room in one of the residence halls beginning Sunday of the week classes begin
- Meals at the cafeteria
- Local telephone service
Meal Plans
Students who reside in the residence hall are required to select a meal plan offered through the cafeteria.
Meal Plan
- $1,850 (per semester – includes $200 for the Rusty Bucket) This plan is for unlimited access to the cafeteria seven days per week.
Meal Plan 22
- $1,100 (per semester - declining balance)
A declining balance means that the student will be charged by the meal for each entry to the cafeteria until the $1,100 is used. Any portion of this balance may be spent in the Rusty Bucket. There is no refund for an unused balance.
The Rusty Bucket Café offers a variety of hot meals and made to order sandwiches as well as breakfast items, smoothies, snacks and beverages. It is open to all students and the community.
Please note these guidelines before choosing a meal plan:
- A processing fee will be assessed for any changes to meal plans after the close of registration.
- Refunds are on a pro-rata basis only when withdrawing from school or moving from residence hall.
- Meal plans may not be shared with other students or guests.
Residence Hall Deposit
To reserve a room, students are required to pay a general deposit of $100 to the respective residence hall. The deposit will be held until the student graduates, moves out of the residence hall, or withdraws from the university. The deposit is refundable on condition that the checkout procedure of the residence hall is followed (see Residence Hall Handbook). Should a student cancel an application for admission before August 13, the deposit will be refunded.
Private Room Fee
Private room fees are an additional $880 per semester subject to space availability, dean approval, and financial clearance.
Summer Residence Hall and Cafeteria Fees
Residence halls charge a weekly rate and the cafeteria charges for each meal.
Other Expenses
Books
During the on-line registration process students are given the opportunity to indicate if they want to charge books to their student account through BBA Corporation, the University textbook provider. Students may charge up to $650 to their student account.
Graduation Dues
Graduation class dues are a mandatory non-refundable fee voted by the senior class each year to cover expenses such as class gift, announcements, and miscellaneous class activities. When a student returns to obtain an additional degree and graduation dues were paid as an initial Southwestern graduate, only half of the dues will be required for each subsequent graduation class. Graduation dues are charged to the student account at spring registration in the year the student will graduate.
Insurance
Medical insurance is required for all students registered for 6 or more credit hours. Medical insurance can be purchased at registration for the academic year if the student is not covered by another plan. No refunds will be made after the second week of classes.
Immigration requires that all international students have twelve-month medical insurance coverage while in the United States international students must purchase major medical insurance coverage through the University at the time of registration. Medical insurance from a home country will not be accepted. If a student is insured through the SDA General Conference system, the international student must provide documentation of equivalent insurance coverage. No refunds will be made after the second week of classes.
Payment Plans
Southwestern offers three payment plans for fall and spring semesters to help students manage their university expenses. Classes taken during the summer require full payment at the time of registration for each module.
Plan I - Cash
When the total charges for a semester are paid on registration day, a discount of 3% is given on the cash paid for tuition, room, and board. (Before this discount is calculated, all scholarships, loans, grants, awards, other discounts, and university aid funds are subtracted.) Students using this plan must bring with them at registration time the full amount of the package plan, plus miscellaneous charges such as music lessons and private room fee. A cash discount is not given on post-baccalaureate undergrad classes, Distance Learning, or other discounted programs. This discount does not apply to payments made by credit or debit card.
Plan II - Five-payment Semester Agreement
This plan is a five-payment contract with the University. The first payment, is 60% of semester charges, and financial aid can be applied toward this requirement. The remaining balance will be divided equally over four payments due the 10th of each month, as follows:
| Fall Semester | |
| July 15 | First payment, minimum of 60% of semester charges |
| August 10 | Second payment |
| September 10 | Third payment |
| October 10 | Fourth payment |
| November 10 | Final payment |
Students must go to their university portal in July to choose this payment option at www.swau.edu.
| Spring Semester | |
| December 15 | First payment, minimum of 60% of semester charges |
| January 10 | Second payment |
| February 10 | Third payment |
| March 10 | Fourth payment |
| April 10 | Final payment |
Students must go to their university portal in December to choose this payment option at www.swau.edu.
Plan III - Four-payment Semester Agreement
This plan is a four payment contract with the University. A minimum of 60% will be paid at the time of registration, with financial aid as a part of that payment. The remaining balance will be divided into three payments due on the 10th of each month, as follows:
| Fall Semester | |
| At Registration | First payment, minimum of 60% of semester charges |
| October 10 | Second payment |
| November 10 | Third payment |
| December 10 | Final payment, which is the remaining balance owed. |
| Spring Semester | |
| At Registration | First payment, minimum of 60% of semester charges |
| February 10 | Second payment |
| March 10 | Third payment |
| April 10 | Final payment, which is the remaining balance owed. |
Refunds - Institutional
Tuition charges for students dropping classes will continue until the drop voucher is filed at the Records Office. Room and board charges will continue until the student’s personal belongings have been removed from the residence hall and clearance has been filed with the residence hall dean.
Refunds to students dropping all, or some, classes will be prorated on a weekly basis as shown in the chart below. Room and board refunds are prorated on a daily basis.
| Week | Refund % Tuition |
| Registration Week | 100% |
| Second Week | 84% |
| Third Week | 72% |
| Fourth Week | 60% |
| Fifth Week | 48% |
| Sixth Week | 36% |
| Seventh Week | 24% |
| Eighth Week | 12% |
Refunds are not made on these items:
- Insurance
- Missed cafeteria meals
- Music Lessons two weeks after registration day
- Technology Fee
- Unattended classes
Student Financial Aid - Scholarships
MA Scholarship
A scholarship of $50 per credit hour is given to students enrolled in the MA Program in Counseling.
MBA Scholarships
-
A scholarship of $150 per credit hour for all MBA students who attain a formula score of 1,100.
or
-
A scholarship of $100 per credit hour for all MBA students who attain a formula score of 1,000.
or
-
A scholarship of $50 per credit hour for all MBA students who maintain a graduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50. This scholarship will be awarded for the first semester, and thereafter will be based on the graduate GPA.
Note: The formula score is calculated as 200 x undergraduate cumulative GPA + GMAT score. A student must maintain a 3.50 GPA in the program to retain a scholarship.
MEd Scholarships
A scholarship of $50 per credit hour for all MEd students who maintain a graduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50. This scholarship will be awarded to all students for the first semester, and thereafter will be based on the graduate GPA.
MEd Lab School Scholarships for Graduate Students
Graduate Students who teach for one of the University’s lab schools (area schools that contract with the Education Department for student teachers) will receive a 50% tuition discount for graduate classes. Employees of the following Independent School Districts are now eligible: Alvarado, Burleson, Cleburne, Joshua, Keene and Whitney.
Federal/State Student Aid
Eligibility for the following programs is based upon results of the FAFSA. Students who do not hold a bachelor’s degree and who are taking undergraduate as well as graduate classes will receive grant money only on undergraduate classes, and loans will be limited to the undergraduate amounts. Refer to the undergraduate bulletin for further information about undergraduate federal student aid.
Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)
The State of Texas has established a program to help equalize tuition between state-sponsored institutions and independent universities. To qualify for this program a student must establish eligibility through the FAFSA (or TASFA for students who are not U.S. Citizens or Resident Aliens), be a Texas resident, not be a recipient of an athletic scholarship, and not be enrolled in a theological degree program. Annual awards at Southwestern range from $200 to $3,200. Recipients must be enrolled at least three-quarter time. At the end of the academic year in which a student receives a renewal award the student must:
- Maintain an overall grade point average of at least 2.5
- Complete at least 75% of coursework attempted
- As a graduate student complete at least 18 credits in their most recent academic year
Federal Student Loan
Eligibility for federal loans is based upon results of the FAFSA. Loan programs require completion of an initial master promissory note. Students receiving any of the following loans must complete entrance counseling before receiving the first disbursement of their loan and must have exit counseling before graduating or withdrawing from the University. Loans normally have a ten year repayment period.
Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
This is a federally regulated loan program with the U.S. Department of Education. In combination with the Direct Loan maximums, graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year with a total maximum of $138,500 (including undergraduate loans). Interest for the Unsubsidized Direct Loan is a fixed rate of 6.8%. A student may choose to make interest payments while attending school or allow the interest to be capitalized.
Federal Perkins Loan
Southwestern is the lender for this federal program. Graduate students may borrow up to $3,000 per year. Interest on this loan is 5% and repayment does not begin until nine months after the student ceases to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis. Because of limited funding for this program, Southwestern requires that a student first apply for the Federal Direct Loan. A student must sign a master promissory note at the time of their initial Perkins Loan.
Federal Work Study Program (FWS)
This is a federal program. Students work on campus, or in a community service job, and are paid at least minimum wage. Students receive paychecks monthly through the Business Office.
Financial Aid Academic Progress Standards
Southwestern’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy specifies the standards a student must maintain to be considered making progress in his/her course of study. The policy also establishes the criteria by which a student who has failed to maintain satisfactory progress may reestablish his/her eligibility for financial assistance.
Southwestern’s satisfactory progress policy for graduate students contains a qualitative component which requires a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. The quantitative satisfactory progress policy requires a coursework completion rate of 67% while enrolled in this program with a maximum of 54 credit hours attempted.
Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester. When a student fails to meet the GPA and/or completion percentage standards they will be given a warning semester during which they must complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Contract. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the warning semester, the student will be placed on financial aid probation. To receive financial aid during a probationary semester, the student must appeal to the Student Finance Committee stating the reason the student failed to make SAP and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation. A student who does not meet SAP standards or the Student Finance Committee prescribed academic plan at the end of the probationary semester, will be placed on financial aid suspension and may not receive federal student aid until SAP standards are met. Students who exceed the number of years for completion of a degree must complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form to be reviewed by the Student Finance Committee. A hold is placed on the students federal and state aid until the SAP contract has been signed or the suspension appeal has been approved. Suspension appeals may be made for the following reasons: 1) The student has experienced illness; 2) The death of a relative 3) The student has a degree plan change; 4) The student, out of financial necessity, carried an extremely heavy workload over an extended period of time; 5) Upon recommendation of the Vice President for Academic Administration; 6) At the discretion of the Assistant Financial Vice President for Student Finance.
Refunds - Federal/State Aid
When a student receives federal student aid funds and subsequently withdraws from the University, a portion of these funds may have to be returned to the Federal Government. The return amount is based upon the percentage of assistance earned up to the date of withdrawal within the enrollment period. No return is required after the 60% point in time. Repayment to federal student aid funds will be made in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan. If it is determined that the student must return funds which were received directly, the student may set up a repayment plan through Student Financial Services. The University will apply this policy to all federal student aid recipients. Contact Student Financial Services for information regarding this policy, including examples of the application of this policy.
Return of State aid funds is calculated independently of the federal funds, according to State guidelines. During the first week of the semester, 70%; second week 60%; third week 40%; fourth week 20%; and, the firth week and thereafter, 0%.