Parent Resources

Traditional Undergraduate Students

Welcome!

We’re excited that you and your student are considering Southeastern University as their college home for the next few years!

The transition to college life can be a time of questions and uncertainty for students and their parents, but it doesn’t have to be. This page will help you feel connected to your son or daughter’s new “home away from home” at SEU, and help you both begin to navigate this next exciting chapter! Click the links to the right to jump to the section you need.

Traditional undergraduate students are students who are based on our main campus in Lakeland, Florida.

Community from Day One

The faculty and staff of SEU are dedicated to ensuring that every student feels fully welcomed into our community as soon as they arrive. By focusing on student success, we work to ensure each student is given every opportunity to succeed, and above all, grows in faith as they discover God’s call on their lives.

Why SEU?

When your son or daughter brings their God-given gifts, talents, and passions to SEU, we’ll help them use those gifts in ways they never knew were possible. Here’s how. 

Our students develop a well-rounded faith that they feel confident in sharing or applying in multiple ways and with many types of people.

SEU offers multiple chapel services per week, all with the goal of filling our students’ hearts and strengthening their faith. Students are also involved in the coordination and production of chapel services, giving them firsthand experience in this aspect of ministry.

Our greatest joy is to see our students use their gifts to glorify God. That’s why we’ll help guide and support them in finding their God-given purpose — their Divine Design. From spiritually-guided career services, to SEU Groups, to everyday classroom interactions, we’re here to help point them down the path that’s been designed for them by Someone with a higher plan.

One of the most distinctive parts of the SEU community is our heart for mission work. Through SEU Missions, hundreds of students participate each year in fundraising, planning, and even leading domestic and international mission trips or outreach initiatives.

Admission & Financial Aid

Application Basics

It only takes a few minutes to complete our application process online! Click here to learn about the process.

Your Enrollment Counselor

Have questions about the admission process, financial aid, classes, or campus life? Your SEU enrollment counselor is your expert on all things SEU, so they’re a terrific resource for you and your student. You can find your family's enrollment counselor here.

Financial Aid

As you explore your options for covering college costs, you’ll find a step-by-step guide, including important tools and information on scholarships, grants, and the FAFSA here.

FAQs

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs page for additional information.

Academics

Programs of Study — When your son or daughter earns a degree at SEU, they’ll learn in an innovative, Christ-centered environment. They’ll be equipped to serve as a competent professional through Spirit-empowered, ethical practice informed by critical thinking, lifelong learning, and leadership. SEU is proud to offer degrees in multiple disciplines. Click here for a complete listing of our current programs.

Faculty Who Care — As authentic Christians who lead by example, SEU faculty members voluntarily use their own time to provide your student with support and true caring. While they are highly accomplished in their fields and bring practical experience to the classroom, they are also effective teachers who make learning engaging and meaningful. Meet our faculty.

Important Information

Get Fire Ready!

Fire Ready is the official clearance process of SEU. In order for your student to be able to start their semester on time, please ensure that all steps in this process are completed before their arrival on campus each semester.

Your student can check their Fire Ready status at any time in the MyPortal (JICS) student system.

Accessing Your Student's Records

The Parent Portal gives parents online visibility into student information, and allows students to control and share with parents (or other parties) the information they want online — helping SEU meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Fire Athletics

If your son or daughter is a prospective student-athlete, visit our Fire Athletics website to contact coaches and email videos. Our award-winning athletic teams compete and claim championship titles within the NAIA.

Student Life

Campus Life

SEU is committed to providing students a caring community that will make you feel like you’re right at home. Our First Year Experience (FYE) team helps students get involved. Through Spiritual Formation, we create an environment where students learn to own their faith and live out their calling. Discover Student Life here.

Career Placement

Our Career Services team and our faculty provide resources for successful internships and job placement. Through our relationships with local, national, and international organizations, our alumni have gone on to successful and impactful careers around the world.

Housing & Dining

Where students will live and dine is one of the most frequently asked questions for both parents and students. SEU student live comfortably right on campus, with easy access to classes and amenities. There are also multiple meal plan options and plenty of places to eat around campus. Get more information on housing and dining here.

Safety & Security

The safety of our students is as paramount to us as it is to you. That’s why we’ve heavily invested in multiple measures to make our campus environment as safe and secure as possible through preventative measures. Learn more about Safety & Security here.

Counseling, Health & Wellness Services

Take Care 

These essential services have been designed with our students’ health in mind.

  • Health Services – In partnership with Lakeland Regional Health, right here on campus, students have access to unlimited, comprehensive, professional medical care with no copay.*
  • Mental Health Services – Comprehensive mental health support services are also included in our student fees, so they pay nothing out of pocket!*


*Student fees allow for unrestricted access to campus-based services at Health Services or at the Counseling Center, and virtually via Timely MD. Off-campus services are not included.

Why It's Worth It

Looking at the value of college means seeing more than just dollar signs. Attending a Christian university is a worthwhile investment. At Southeastern University, we firmly believe that our campus culture and commitment to integrating faith into our classrooms helps students not only to maintain their faith, but also to make it stronger.

Spiritual Life

When your student is immersed in a Christian environment, like SEU, during their college years, they will not only be encouraged in their spiritual walk and maintain their Christian values, but their faith will also grow and flourish.

Career Satisfaction

Students who graduate from SEU report higher long-term career satisfaction after graduation, owing to the fact that they were encouraged to pursue a degree, and subsequently a career, that is in line with God’s call on their lives.

Mentorship

At SEU, mentorship is everywhere. Our community is full of people who are here to help guide your student in their spiritual walk as they discover their potential and become the person God created them to be.

College is a time when a lot of life decisions are made: their field of study, their career, and maybe even where they’ll live after graduation. SEU will give them a foundation to rely on the Lord to guide them through all of these decisions, and set the stage for them to rely on Him for the rest of their life.

We provide our students with strategies and opportunities to grow as future professionals, to maneuver through challenges in pursuing their calling, and to become people we are proud to call alumni.

Student Success

From campus to career, our job is to help our students be as successful as possible, so our variety of support services makes it easy for students to find the help they want and the resources they need.

Examples include:

  • Pray your student will find a university that will help them discover their God-given purpose … their divine design.
  • Pray that your student will find a university that can provide them with a life-giving community.
  • Pray that your student will find a university that will come alongside them on their spiritual journey.
  • Pray for a positive roommate experience and the establishment of life-long friendships.
  • Pray that your student will find a university that equips them professionally, not just for a career, but for work that gives them personal fulfillment.
  • Visit ahead of time – While visiting a university’s campus and surrounding area should be a key part of the decision making process, it should also be part of the preparations before campus arrival, because then the campus and city will feel more like a second home. Sign up to visit SEU anytime here.
    In fact, SEU offers in-person Fast Track Orientation sessions each summer for students who are starting classes in the fall. These sessions give students the chance to not only visit campus and meet other students, but also to take care of many items that are usually handled during Welcome Week in August.

 

  • Set up a budget – If your student hasn’t managed a budget before, now is a great time to start. Before they leave for campus, discuss the expenses they are responsible for and the anticipated source(s) for how they will be paid (e.g. financial aid funds, their wages from a job, help from you, etc.).

 

  • Advise healthy time management and life balance – Students who focus too hard on academics burn out quickly, while students who don’t focus enough struggle to achieve their goals. Encouraging balance between activities and studying is key … and remember, we have plenty of resources at SEU to show them how.

 

  • Encourage healthy relationships with their friends/roommates – College friends and roommates can become a wonderful source of support for your son or daughter. Encouraging them to form friendships from the beginning makes for a much more pleasant and productive college experience and can result in long-term friendships.

 

  • Give them freedom to change their mind – College is a time of learning, but it’s also  time of self-discovery. Many students end up majoring in the same field as originally planned, but just as many have an experience that shows them a new path. Knowing that they have the freedom to go where they feel they are being called will set them up for an even higher level of success.

 

  • Encourage them to get involved on campus – The more students are engaged in campus life and activities, the more connected they feel to the campus community. In fact, most students who have transferred to SEU from other institutions are quick to say how welcoming the SEU community is in contrast to their prior schools.

 

  • Allow them time and space to get adjusted to campus – Adjusting to college life takes time … and just how much time varies from person to person. There is no set time frame in which students will feel adjusted. Some students feel settled after just a few days while others feel more acclimated after several weeks (or even months) have gone by.