2024 FAFSA Information Guide

FINANCIAL

Traditional Undergraduate

Invest in Your Future

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

Financial Aid Fast Facts

99%

of students receive scholarships and/or grants

$20,938

average award amount

$35.7

million

in financial aid awarded in 2022-23

Early Decisions Come with Perks!

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 online can be found here. Master’s and doctoral students can find financial information here. 

1. Apply for Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid may seem overwhelming, but we’ve made the process simple for you!

  1. Apply to Southeastern University.
  2. Your eligibility for academic scholarships will be determined based on the availability of funds as soon as you are accepted for admission.
  3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov
    1. SEU’s FAFSA code is 001521 
    2. The priority deadline is April 15 annually 
    3. Need additional help? Get more FAFSA details here.
  4. We will send you an aid offer upon completion of these steps, outlining the amount and types of awards you are eligible to receive. 

Note: While you may begin applying to SEU during your junior year of high school, you must wait until October 1 of your senior year to submit your FAFSA. Learn more here.

2. Apply for Scholarships

We’re dedicated to making your Christian higher education experience as affordable as possible, so we have a variety of scholarship opportunities available to students from multiple backgrounds and talents. Be sure to explore all of our scholarships and submit additional applications for the scholarships you are interested in. 

  • Some scholarships have a February 15 deadline. Others do not have a set deadline but funds are limited, so the sooner you submit your application, the better your chances of qualifying.
  • Our endowed scholarship application window runs from February 1–March 1 annually.

Academic Scholarships

These aid offers are automatically applied based on your academic merits (criteria below) and do not require a separate application. These scholarships are renewable for 4 years!

Contact your SEU enrollment counselor with any questions regarding your scholarship opportunities.

2022–2023

GPAScholarshipAmount
4.20 & AboveChancellor’s Scholarship$16,000
3.85– 4.19President’s Scholarship$14,000
3.15– 3.849Regent’s Scholarship$12,000
2.75– 3.149Southeastern Scholarship$8,000
2.749 & BelowFounder’s Scholarship$6,000

2022–2023

Cumulative GPAScholarshipAmount
3.25+Quest$10,000
2.25– 3.24Journey$8,000
2.249 & belowVenture$6,000

SEU has pivoted to new methods for determining scholarship amounts. 

  • If you do not take the SAT or ACT, your weighted high school GPA will determine your scholarship tier (see above). 
  • If you do take the test(s), a strong score will benefit your scholarship level. 
  • Test scores will only be factored in if they help you reach a higher scholarship level. 
  • Students who are receiving scholarships through the SEU School of Honors or Florida Bright Futures are still required to submit test scores.

3. Review Your Offer Letter

After you’re accepted to SEU, you’ll receive a personalized financial aid offer. We’ll base these aid offers on the information we received when you applied and when you submitted your FAFSA.

  • 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 award letter is an estimate. The financial aid that appears in your aid offer may not yet include the additional scholarships or 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.

4. Calculate Your Estimated Costs

Visit this page to view all tuition and fees, including cost models for on-campus and off-campus students.

In July, you can expect to see a preliminary bill for the fall semester; in November you will see the preliminary bill for the spring. This bill will reflect your anticipated balance after your financial aid awards have been applied.

To estimate your total out-of-pocket costs:

Add your estimated costs from tables 1 and 2, and then deduct the aid you are accepting.

OR

Use our handy cost calculator

Tuition (12–17 hours) $15,825
Fees $650
Room $2,800
Meal Plan $2,765
Semester Total $22,040
Total (per year) $44,080

Determining the cost of attending college also means estimating potential expenses beyond tuition, room, and board. The below costs are estimates only; individual costs will vary by student.

Students may choose to apply financial aid toward these allowable expenses up to the amounts listed below per year, which are based on full-time enrollment. 

 

Indirect Expense Estimate
Books & Supplies$1,600
Miscellaneous $6,000
Transportation $1,800
Federal Student Loan Fee (if applicable)$72
Total Estimated Indirect Costs$9,472

 

*These costs are projected and subject to change. This cost model assumes full-time enrollment and standard meal plan and room selection. Some classes and majors will incur additional fees.

5. Explore Additional Aid

Visit SEU.edu/scholarships. for additional opportunities (separate applications required).

There are more than 150 jobs available right on campus!

(Some positions may qualify for federal work study.)

Some student leadership positions offer scholarship funds.

Some student positions are eligible for Federal Work Study. Learn more here.

Questions
Contact Student Financial Services at sfs@seu.edu.

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.

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.

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.

SEU is proud to work with students who qualify for military or veterans’ benefits. Visit this page to learn more.

UNDERSTANDING REPAYMENT & Aid offer AMOUNTS

Scholarships and grants do not need to be repaid; loans do. If your personalized aid offer includes a Southeastern grant or other need-based aid, all or some of the dollar amount may be adjusted at a later date if you receive additional federal, state, or institutional grant aid.

* 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).

6. Submit Your Financial Aid Forms

Once you review your aid offer and estimate your expenses, it’s time to make your plans!

  1. Once you’re accepted to SEU, be sure to save your spot. Simply use your personalized link to submit your deposit and enrollment confirmation form. Contact your enrollment counselor with any questions on submitting your deposit.
  2. Set up your account. We’ll email your SEU ID number to you. Use it to set up your access to SEU’s campus systems and your new SEU email account. Get additional help here.
    (Pro tip: Check your SEU email often!)
  3. 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 offer, find and complete all required forms, check the status of any missing documents.

APPLYING YOUR FINANCIAL AID TO YOUR BILL

All aid offers that you are eligible for will automatically be applied to your estimated total. 

  • If you are opting to decline any aid that appears on your financial aid offer (such as loans), please contact Student Financial Services at SFS@seu.edu or 800.500.8760.
  • We run a process daily that takes any aid you are eligible for (meaning we awarded it to you and you have done any forms/processes required to secure the funding) and puts it on your bill as a “pending” aid offer until after the semester starts. This enables you to see how your aid will reduce your bill once it is actually disbursed to your student account after add/drop. 
  • In July (for the fall semester) and in November (for the spring semester) you’ll be able to see your charges in MyPortal (formerly known as the JICS student portal).

GET FIRE READY

Financial Clearance, which is ensuring all of your estimated costs are covered, is one of the most critical steps of Fire Ready, the official clearance process of SEU. Be sure to get Fire Ready before each semester starts. Learn more.