How to Apply for Financial Aid

To apply for federal and state financial aid, a student must:

• Complete Admissions Application with Southwestern
• Complete the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have the resulting Student Aid Report (SAR) sent to the Financial Aid Office at Southwestern. Here are your options for applying:
  • The quickest way to apply is online using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov
  • Go to www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov and download a PDF version of the FAFSA
  • Call 1-800-4-FED-AID and request a paper application.
• Be willing to provide a copy of your own and your parents’ federal income tax return (dependent students) or your spouse’s federal income tax return (independent students), if selected for verification
• Be willing to submit other necessary documents, if requested

Deadlines

The FAFSA may be submitted after January 1 for the following academic year. Southwestern requires you to provide completed federal tax return information on the FAFSA before financial aid is awarded. It is important that you complete the FAFSA as early as possible so that you can be considered for certain limited federal and state funds. It is also helpful when planning how you will pay for the costs of the upcoming academic year. To be considered for state aid, your FAFSA must be received by the Central Processing System by July 1.

Award Package

The Financial Aid office will notify students by mail of the types and amounts of federal and state financial aid for which they qualify. Students must sign, date and return their award offers by the deadline specified on the offer to confirm acceptance of their awards. Students may accept all or part of their awards. Offers of all financial aid are void if the required documents are not properly completed and returned.