Graduate Students - Southeast Missouri State University

Contact

Phone: 573.651.2253
Fax: 573.651.5006
sfs@semo.edu

Hours: 8am-5pm M-F,
(9am-5pm Wed)

Student Financial Services
Academic Hall Room 019
One University Plaza, MS 3740
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701

Meet the Staff

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As you begin your pursuit of a graduate degree, cost can be an important factor when choosing a university to attend. At Southeast Missouri State University we are dedicated to helping you find ways to finance your graduate degree.

When referring to the fee schedule make sure you are reviewing the graduate rate. The bulk of your costs will come from "tuition" and the "general fee", however select courses you take may have program, course, or web fees, so keep these in mind.

Important things to remember:

Tuition is billed based on the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled. The more classes, the more it costs.
Your first bill of each semester will be mailed to your permanent address. After that, bills will be mailed to you locally (Residence Hall or Cape address). We also offer an online Account Summary allowing you to view the entire account history and make online payments. A printable Online Schedule Bill is available once the semester begins.
If your bill is not paid on time, you may be cancelled from your course(s). If you are cancelled for non-payment, contact us immediately, to determine if reinstatement is an option.
Be sure to check your Southeast email regularly, as official billing correspondence will be sent there.

Federal Funding

To receive federal financial aid you will need to complete a FAFSA. Graduate students are only eligible for loan funding (not the Pell grant, or other typical federal/state grants). These loan funds can be in the form of a federal direct student loan, federal graduate PLUS loan or a private/alternative loan. To learn more about these loans, please visit our Loan Information page.

Endowed Scholarships

Through the generosity of our alumni and area businesses, Southeast has over 700 endowed scholarships. Some of these are designated specifically for graduate students. Southeast has simplified the Endowed Scholarship process by removing the general application and automatically considering all admitted students for scholarships. In some instances, a student may meet the basic criteria for a scholarship but additional information may be needed to verify full eligibility. If that occurs, the student will receive an email to the Southeast email address asking them to complete an additional application for that specific scholarship.

Teach Grant

Are you a teacher that is currently teaching or plans to teach in a high-need field, at a school that serves students from low-income families? The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program provides up to $4,000 per year in grants for undergraduate and graduate students. This unique grant is an exception to the traditional rule that graduate students cannot receive grants. For additional information regarding the TEACH program please review our grant information.

SAP Policy

To continue to receive Title IV funding (federally funded loans or the TEACH grant), you must continue to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). At Southeast, SAP is reviewed after each semester (fall, spring, and summer). To continue receiving Financial Aid, students must meet the completion rate (complete 67% of all courses attempted) AND maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Please make sure and familiarize yourself with the SAP policy early so that you do not accidentally disqualify yourself.

Still looking for additional aid to assist in your educational endeavors? There may still be financial help available.

Employer Funding

Many employers have designated funding available to help their employees continue their education. Make sure you check with your employer to see if funding is available for you. Are you married? Perhaps your spouse's employer offers assistance too! If you ask, the worst that can happen is you're told no.

Graduate Assistantship

Interested in working in a professional role on campus while establishing a professional relationship with faculty and/or administrators? Then a Graduate Assistantship (GA) may be for you! As a GA you will receive a full tuition and fee waiver for up to 24 hours of graduate coursework annually as well as receive a monthly stipend to help you cover personal expenses. This is a great alternative to a traditional job, while in grad school. Please visit the Graduate Studies for more details on becoming a GA and the benefits.

A monthly billing statement will be mailed to you for charges due on your account. In some instances, when there is not time to mail a paper bill (due to late changes on your account), we may issue an ebill, which consists of an email notification that your account balance is due and should be reviewed through your online Account Summary. We typically mail billing statements approximately 3-4 weeks before the due date. Make sure you are aware of our due dates by reviewing our Student Financial Calendar.

Payment Information

Paying your bill on time is important. Southeast offers a variety of payment options, so find the option that best suits you! Can’t pay your account in full by the due date? Don’t worry, we have an Installment Payment Plan (IPP). If your confirmed financial aid is greater than your account balance, no payment will be required. Nearly all methods of payment are accepted, and you can even pay online through the Account Summary. Just make sure to pay your bill on time, or you may be charged late fees or cancelled from your class(es).

Refunds

You will receive a refund check when an overpayment has been made to your account. This is called a "credit balance" and will show as a negative number on your bill or Account Summary. Refunds are processed beginning the second week of the semester, and continue weekly. Refund checks will be mailed to your permanent address or you can sign up for direct deposit using the Southeast portal. Check out Refund of Credit Balances for more information on this process.

Refunds if Loans were borrowed:
Remember, your credit balance may be a result of excess loan funds, that will need to be paid back. Borrow only what you need! If this is the case, you can always return the refund check (or directly deposited funds) and cancel a portion of the loans you borrowed (highly recommended).

Refunds as a result of dropped classes:
A credit balance can also be a result of dropping a class during its scheduled refund period. If you drop a class after the scheduled refund period, you will still be responsible for the cost of that course. Additionally, before dropping a class, make sure you know the SAP policy as a drop may affect your financial aid eligibility.

If you drop all of your classes (withdrawal from Southeast) and have received any Title IV funding (i.e. Federal Student Loans), credit balances will not be refunded immediately as you must go through the Return to Title IV process.