2024 FAFSA Information Guide

FINANCIAL

Online Undergraduate

Invest in Your Future

Online undergraduate students are those who are earning an associate or bachelor’s degree through one of our fully online degree programs. Discover the many financial aid resources SEU has available for you. Not sure where to start? Here’s your step-by-step guide. Click on each step for details.

Connect with Student Financial Services

Your SEU Enrollment Counselor is also a great resource for financial aid help — and for helping you find everything you need to feel at home at SEU. Find your enrollment counselor here.

Information for students earning their undergraduate degree in person can be found here. Master’s and doctoral students can find financial information here. 

1. Apply to SEU & View Tuition Rates

Applying to SEU is quick and easy! Plus, you can save time and money by transferring credits from prior schools, or getting college credit for prior learning experiences and career training. (Ask your enrollment counselor for details.)

Be sure to check out our tuition rates for online degrees.

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2. Complete the FAFSA

The only way to see which types of aid you qualify for is to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Here’s how.  Note: If you do not qualify for an unsubsidized student loan, you may be able to apply for a Graduate Plus loan.

What About Scholarships?

The tuition for our online degrees is significantly discounted, so at this time, institutional scholarships are not available. However, our online students do still qualify to apply for Federal grants and loans, and Florida residents also qualify for state grants. Third-party scholarships for online student may also be available.

3. Set Up Your SEU Account Access

Once you’ve been accepted to SEU, we’ll email account setup instructions and your SEU ID number to the email address you provided when you filled out your application. Use it to set up access to SEU’s campus systems and your new SEU email account. You’ll then be able to review your financial aid offer, register for classes, and much more.
Get additional help here.

(Pro tip: Check your SEU email often!)

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4. Review Your Financial Aid Offer

After you’re accepted to SEU, you’ll receive a personalized aid offer from Student Financial Services (sfs@seu.edu). This will arrive via your SEU email, which is why it’s important to set up your account access as soon as you’re accepted. We’ll base these aid numbers on the information we received when you applied and when you submitted your FAFSA. 

In general, online students qualify for aid such as a Pell Grant or loans. Qualified Florida residents will automatically receive the EASE grant (once you confirm your residency via the SEU Financial Aid Portal.)

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MORE DETAILS

  • If you are opting to decline any aid that appear on your aid offer (such as loans), please contact Student Financial Services at SFS@seu.edu or 800.500.8760.
  • Some forms of financial aid can be applied to certain approved, indirect costs of attending college (like transportation, personal expenses, and books). 
  • “We’ll award all funds for which you are eligible. However, you’ll have the option to accept or decline certain aid offers (such as student
    loans).
  • Your aid offer is an estimate. The financial aid that appears in your offer may not yet include the third party scholarships for which you have applied. 
  • Any scholarships you receive may be applied to your balance, so you may wish to factor those into your calculations to provide a more complete picture of your projected finances.

5. Explore Options to Offset Your Costs

We welcome you to apply any scholarships you may have earned toward your tuition costs. Our financial aid counselors will assist you as needed, however, you will need to coordinate your benefits with the source of the scholarship.

Many employers offer tuition assistance or reimbursement. We will be glad to provide you with the documentation you need to take advantage of these benefits.

Regardless of need or financial standing, Southeastern’s affordable monthly payment plans are available to all students and families. Determine your monthly payment and enroll online here. There is no approval process to enroll in a payment plan, and the only required cost is a nominal, per-semester enrollment fee. 

SEU accepts financial aid offered to Florida residents, such as Florida Bright Futures, the Florida EASE Grant, and the Florida Prepaid College Program.

SEU gladly works with students who qualify for aid from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Learn more here.

Loans need to be paid back, but are generally taken out at a low, fixed interest rate. Depending on the type, loans can be secured in the name of the student or the parents. Here are a few examples.

  • Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loans. These loans are based on financial need, and you won’t be charged interest before you begin repayment, because the federal government “subsidizes” the interest during these times.*
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loans. These loans are not awarded based on financial need, so any eligible student can take out unsubsidized direct loans. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed to the time the loan is repaid in full.*
  • Parent PLUS Loan. Eligibility for this loan is dependent on a modest credit check and approval by the Department of Education. If your parent is denied a PLUS loan, you may be eligible for $4,000 in an additional unsubsidized loan. The Parent PLUS Loan listed is an estimate and requires credit approval. Visit studentaid.gov to learn more or to apply.
  • Private loans  Visit SEU.edu/loans to explore your options, including the Fast Choice private loan comparison tool.

Understanding repayment & Aid Offer Amounts

Scholarships and grants do not need to be repaid; loans do. 

* Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans require students to complete loan documents, and will automatically be processed for the entire amount for which a student is eligible (unless SEU is notified otherwise).

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6. Submit Your Financial Aid Forms

Once you’re accepted to SEU, it’s time to make your plans! Saving your spot as an online student doesn’t require a deposit, so be sure to take care of these steps right away so that we know you’ll be logging in when classes start.

  1. Register for classes. Once registration has opened for the upcoming semester, sign up for your classes. Contact your enrollment counselor with any questions, and visit this page for additional resources, including how to connect with your academic advisor. 
  2. Complete any additional required financial aid forms. Log in to Your Aid Offer (SEU Financial Aid Portal) — your one stop shop for all things financial aid—to view your aid offers, find and complete all required forms, and check the status of any missing documents.
  3. Set up a payment plan and/or pay your bill. Check your SEU email often; if you have a bill, it will be emailed to you. To enroll in a payment plan, visit this page. You can also log in to MyPortal (JICS) to resolve any balance not covered by your financial aid.

financial aid clearance

Prior to the first day of class each semester, be sure you have Financial Clearance, which is ensuring all of your estimated costs are covered through financial aid, a payment plan, or direct payment.  Students whose balances are not resolved may incur finance charges and/or a financial hold, which prevents future course registration.
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Financial Aid Glossary

Get to know some of the terms you’ll hear most often as you explore your options for covering college costs.

Scholarships are earned based on certain criteria, such as academic merit, and don’t have to be repaid.

These awards from SEU are based on academic merit, and are renewable by maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. You may qualify for up to eight consecutive semesters for this type of scholarship. No application is required; these scholarships will be automatically applied based on your academic qualifications (see the Scholarships page for details).

The FAFSA is the first step to applying for financial aid, including federal student aid programs, and SEU grants and scholarships. The FAFSA application should be submitted annually and can be completed as early as October 1. Get more details here.

Grants are often based on financial need and don’t have to be repaid. For example, SEU Need-Based Grants are awarded to students who demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA. (Award amounts vary and may change as resources increase or decrease.)

Regardless of need or financial standing, Southeastern’s affordable monthly payment plans are available to all students and families, and accrue no interest. Determine your monthly payment and enroll online here. There is no approval process to enroll in a payment plan, and the only required cost is a nominal, per-semester enrollment fee. 

SAP refers to the requirement that students maintain a certain cumulative GPA and complete a certain percentage of attempted courses in order to remain eligible to renew federal aid annually. 

Loans need to be paid back, but are generally taken out at a low, fixed interest rate. Here are a few examples.

  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loans. These loans are not awarded based on financial need, so any eligible student can take out unsubsidized direct loans. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed to the time the loan is repaid in full.
  • Direct PLUS Loan. Use the Direct PLUS Loan Application at studentaid.gov to apply for a Direct PLUS Loan as a graduate or professional student (a “grad PLUS loan”).
  • Private loans.  Visit this page to explore your options.

Scholarships are earned based on certain criteria, such as academic merit, and don’t have to be repaid. We welcome you to apply any scholarships you may have earned toward your tuition costs. Our financial aid counselors will assist you as needed, however, you will need to coordinate your benefits with the source of the scholarship.