Parent Handbook
Financial Assistance
In a real sense, every student admitted to Southwestern receives financial assistance. Income from endowments and gifts pays for more than 40 percent of each student’s educational costs. Tuition and fees pay the balance. Friends of the University have made additional funds available for financial assistance, which is granted on the basis of both merit and need. The University has scholarships, grants, work opportunities and loans to assist worthy students in meeting financial needs for their college educations. The Office of Financial Assistance has information about the programs Southwestern offers to help families pay educational expenses.
FAQ
What is the schedule of tuition payments?
Twice per year: end of July for fall term; mid-December for spring term. Financial assistance is disbursed on a similar schedule.
Will all financial assistance automatically renew from year to year?
No. Need-based financial aid such as federal grants, state grants, Southwestern University need-based scholarships and student loans require that a family submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year. The FAFSA may be submitted online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and can be accessed through the Office of Financial Assistance Web site. The deadline for submitting the FAFSA is March 1 of each year. Financial aid notices will be sent out at the end of May.
Most types of merit-based financial aid (such as Ruter, Mood, Cody, President’s Achievement and AP/IB Scholarships) are renewed each year provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress as defined in the Southwestern University Catalog. Some scholarships (such as the Brown Scholarship and Fine Arts awards) have additional renewal criteria. Information about scholarship renewal criteria can be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
How can I contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance?
www.southwestern.edu/assistance/
E-mail: finaid@southwestern.edu
Phone: 512-863-1259
Fax: 512-863-1507
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Financial Aid Staff
James Gaeta ‘87
Director of Financial Aid
Nadia Mahannah
Associate Director of Financial Aid
Tish Owen
Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Nancy Wamsley
Financial Aid Assistant
