Cost can be confusing (we understand) and there are many types of fees. It is important
to understand the types of fees and make sure you plan for the expense of a college
education.
Below is a cost estimate based on a typical international student. Your total cost
may vary based on class/housing choices, or other factors.
| Fall/Spring - Academic Year Estimate (August 2020 - May 2021) |
| |
Intensive English Program (IEP) & Undergraduate (Bachelor's)
|
Graduate (Master's)
|
Tuition & General Fees (Fall and Spring)
|
$14,205.00 (30 hours per year)
|
$10,791.00 (18 hours per year)
|
Estimated Books & Supplies
|
$364.00 |
$850.00 |
| Housing |
$6,664.00 (on-campus housing*) |
$4,500.00 (off-campus housing) |
| Meals |
$3,027.00 (15 meals/week) |
$2,100.00 (off-campus food) |
| Estimated Personal Expenses (toiletries, local transportation, recreation) |
$1,000.00 |
$1,000.00 |
Health Insurance(mandatory; 12 months)
|
$1,307.64 |
$1,307.64
|
| Total Estimated Cost (Fall and Spring) |
$26,567.64 |
$20,548.64 |
| Planning to bring a spouse or child with you? If so, estimate an additional: |
$2,000.00 - one dependent |
| $3,000.00 - two dependents |
| $4,000.00 - three dependents |
| *On-campus housing rate based on Vandiver/Myers/North/West Residence Halls for 2020-2021. |
NOTE: You may also encounter one-time charges, such as new student orientation or
transportation from your home country.
Customizing Your Estimate:
A more detailed breakdown of fees can be found on our Fee Schedule. Use this to modify the estimate above for your specific housing, meal plan, or class
choices.
Every class you take will have a "tuition" charge and a "general fee". The combination
of these two fees makes the base cost per credit hour. As an international student,
you are charged the nonresident rate, so make sure you are looking at the correct
section. Additionally, you may encounter program or course fees, depending on the
classes you take. We will notify you of the exact cost prior to any payment due dates.
If you plan to live on-campus, make sure you look at the housing rates and meal plan
options. Not all residence halls cost the same amount, so make sure you choose one
that fits in your budget. If you will live off-campus, your cost may be different
than shown above, depending on where you choose to live.
Did you know one major advantage of attending Southeast is our
Textbook Rental program? Most undergraduate textbooks can be rented for the semester, at a fraction
of the
cost!
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.
- If you have a local (Cape Girardeau) address on file, we will mail your first paper
bill to you. If you do not, when you have a balance due we will send an email to your
Southeast email address stating to check your account balance online. After the first
bill you receive, all billing will be done electronically. This is done through the
online SEMO-Pay portal, which allows 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.
Fees are set annually by the Board of Regents to cover educational and other expenses
not funded by the State of Missouri, and are subject to change without prior written
notice.
Scholarships:
You may be eligible for an
Academic Scholarship for international students, if you meet certain test/language and GPA requirements.
You will automatically be considered for these scholarships with your Application
for Admission to Southeast.
Additionally, each year you will be automatically considered for Endowed Scholarships.
Through the generosity of our alumni and area businesses, Southeast has over 1,100
endowed scholarships. These are a great option for international students too. If
you are awarded an endowed scholarship, you will be notified by email.
Loans:
Paying your balance can be difficult, and there may come a time that consider loans.
It might be beneficial for you to see if there are available options through lenders
in your home country first.
Many lenders in the U.S. will allow international students to apply for a
Private/Alternative education loan, but require a co-signer. A co-signer is typically a parent, guardian, spouse, relative
or close friend, who accepts equal responsibility for repayment of the loan. Your
co-signer must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and over the age of 18. If
you believe that you have a co-signer that will qualify and you are interested in
a loan, please contact our office.
Third Party Sponsors:
Are you sponsored by a group, organization, or your government who will pay for a
portion of your educational expenses? If so, this is called third party funding. Common
examples of this are the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) or The Libyan Embassy,
but there are others too.
In order to use a third party payer, they must issue a written authorization or financial
guarantee stating exactly what charges they will pay for. The start date on the guarantee
must be on or before the first day of your classes. The expiration date must be on
or after the last day of your classes. After you turn in a financial guarantee, we
will place "pending aid" on your account for the amount your sponsor will cover. Once
you have "pending aid" on your student account, you are not responsible for that portion
of your charges. However, if there are charges that they do not pay, you must pay
them by the due date.
If you will have a sponsor covering part of your educational expenses, contact us
to discuss this further.
Bills:
Bills are usually generated and issued approximately 3-4 weeks before they are due,
and due dates can always be found on our
Student Financial Calendar. Until your bill is created, it is best to estimate your cost and make sure you have
the means to pay for them. However, until you are officially enrolled in classes, you
will not have a complete bill with all charges.
When you have a balance due we will send you an ebill, which is an email notification
that your account has changed and to review your billing and balance online. If you
have a local (Cape Girardeau) address on file, we will mail your first paper bill
to you. After the first bill, all billing will be done electronically. WARNING: Do not assume your bill is paid. As a college student, you are ultimately responsible
and must follow-up - we would hate for you to face consequences (like having classes
cancelled) for an unpaid balance!
Note: Paper bills will always show the full amount owed for the semester. If you are
on a payment plan, you can see your payment amount by reviewing your account online!
If you make changes to your schedule, housing, or add other charges, your bill may
change. For the most updated information, we suggest you review your
SEMO-Pay account online. It’s best to review this prior to freaking out, if you believe a
paper statement isn’t correct.
Review Billing Online:We offer two tools for reviewing your billing information online. The
SEMO-Pay portal gives a full account history of all charges/payments during your time at Southeast,
and allows online payment. Additionally, we have an
Online Schedule Bill, which gives you a summary view (in the form of a billing statement), however this
is only available once the semester begins.
Check out our
Student Financial Calendar to see upcoming due dates!
Balances:
There are two types of balances that you may see on your bill. The first is a balance
due to Southeast (shown as a positive number). The second is a “credit balance” (shown
as a negative number). If it is a balance owed to Southeast, make sure you pay it
on time!
A
credit balance means that you have more money paid to your student account than what your charges
are. This could be due to an overpayment on your account, or that charges were removed
after your bill was paid (i.e. if you dropped a class or returned an item to the bookstore).
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
forms of payment are accepted, and you can even pay online through the
SEMO-Pay portal. Just make sure to pay your bill on time, or you may be charged late fees
or cancelled from your class(es).
International Wire Transfers:
If you need to wire money to Southeast to pay your account balance, this can be done
through our partnered company,
Flywire! This is a very cost effective payment method and is the only method of wire transfers
accepted by Southeast. We
do not give out bank or swift numbers for a traditional bank transfer. Instead we encourage
you to use Flywire as it is the best method! For more information on this process,
please review the International Wire Payment section of our
payment options.
Dropping Classes:
There may come a time when you believe that it is in your best interest to drop a
course. This is not a decision to take lightly, as there are many factors to consider.
As an international student, if you are dropping below full-time (12 hours as an
undergraduate) you MUST obtain written approval from International Education and Services
to maintain your legal status in the U.S.! Make sure to review all requirements for maintaining legal status so you do not accidentally cause a problem. Depending on when you drop a course, a fee adjustment may or may not be applied to
your Southeast account. Every class has a scheduled
refund period, and dropping a course may create a credit balance owed to the student (a refund)
or a balance owed to Southeast if charges remain. Specific refund periods can be found
on our
Student Financial Calendar. If you do not way to pay for any portion of a class, you must drop it before the
end of the 100% refund period. If you are unsure of the financial impact, it is best
to come ask us before you make any changes.
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. If you expect to receive a refund, we encourage you to sign up
for
direct deposit using the Southeast portal. This is the quickest method, but it requires a bank account
in the U.S. If you do not add direct deposit, as an international student, if you
live off campus, we will mail the check to you. If you live on campus, you will be
emailed when your check is available for pickup, but this takes a few extra days.
Check out
Refund of Credit Balance for more information on this process.
Refunds If You Have Pending Aid:If you have "pending aid" on your account, we will not issue a refund check until
we receive the money that is pending. Different types of aid will remain pending for
different lengths of time. If you have a third party sponsor paying charges on your
account (and you have turned in a financial guarantee), this aid will usually remain
pending until close to the end of the semester when we receive payment. As a result,
if you are eligible for a refund, you may not receive it right away.