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The Financial Information Bulletin is published annually and serves as the official guide to SMU’s financial policies, tuition, fees, and estimated living expenses. All students are responsible for reviewing and understanding these regulations before enrolling.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Prior to enrollment each semester, students must acknowledge and agree to the Student Rights and Responsibilities, which include:
- Financial Rights and Responsibilities
- Honor Code and Student Code of Conduct
- Appeals and Complaints
This acknowledgment appears as a task on the student’s my.SMU dashboard one month before enrollment opens. A downloadable PDF is available on the Student Rights and Responsibilities website.
Tuition, Billing, and Payment
Students must ensure their accounts are paid in full by the due date specified on the Student Financial Services webpage. Failure to do so may result in financial holds, late fees, and possible cancellation of enrollment.
Billing and Payment Process
- Billing notifications are sent to the student’s SMU email and any designated Authorized User when a bill is generated.
- Students and Authorized Users can access bills online through SMUpay.
- If an account balance notification is not received two weeks before the due date, students should contact Student Financial Services, Office of Student Accounts.
Payment Deadlines
- Online payments (e-check or credit card) must be posted by 11:59 p.m. CT on the due date.
- Balances from prior terms are due immediately. Payments to the student and miscellaneous accounts are required to be paid on or before the due dates. Charges added to the Student Account after the payment due date and will require payment within 24 hours to avoid additional fees and a hold placed on the account.
Delinquent Accounts
- Accounts not cleared by the due date will be subject to a 1.5% monthly past-due fee.
- Financial holds will prevent future registration and/or diploma issuance.
- The university may cancel current enrollment for unpaid accounts.
- Unpaid balances may be referred to a collection agency and reported to the national credit bureaus.
- A collection fee of up to 30% of the outstanding amount, as permitted by law, will be assessed and due in full at the time the account is referred to collection.
- An additional $50 collection management fee will also be applied.
- All costs, including collection or attorney fees, incurred in recovering the outstanding balance are the responsibility of the student.
Credit Balances and Withdrawal Refunds
All credit balances are reviewed by Student Financial Services for accuracy before refunding.
- Credit balances resulting from financial aid disbursement are reviewed before refunding.
- Refunds of financial aid funds are issued directly to the student, except for Parent PLUS Loans, which are refunded to the parent borrower unless a PLUS Loan Refund Release form is submitted.
- International wire refunds are returned to the original account, minus a $35 processing fee.
- Tuition refunds for withdrawals require an official withdrawal and follow the prorated refund schedule in the Financial Information Bulletin. Withdrawal policies, including medical and mandatory administrative withdrawal, are found under Withdrawal from the University in the Enrollment and Academic Records section of this catalog.
- Students withdrawing before completing 60% of a term may have their financial aid adjusted, which may result in an outstanding balance. This calculation is federally mandated and independent of the University’s refund policies for withdrawals.
- Students withdrawing after the 60% point of a term are considered to have earned 100% of their aid.
- If a credit balance remains after adjustments, the account will be reviewed for possible refund or funds returned to the funding source.
- An Authorization to Credit Account (ACA) must be on file, allowing the university to apply credit balances to outstanding charges. Parent loan borrowers must submit an Authorization to Credit Account-Parent (ACAP) form.
To avoid unexpected financial consequences, students should consult with a financial aid advisor before withdrawing.
Payment Plan Options
SMU Monthly Payment Plan
SMU offers payment plans to help students and families manage tuition expenses. Plans vary by term:
- Fall & Spring: 5-month installment plan
- Summer: 3-month installment plan
- Short terms (JanTerm, MayTerm, August Term): Not eligible
They cannot be applied to Miscellaneous account charges and an open balance from a previous term cannot be added to a current payment plan.
SMU Prepayment Plan
This plan allows families to prepay tuition and fees at current rates for two, three, or four years of undergraduate study. The plan covers Fall and Spring terms only.
For details, contact The Mane Desk at 214-768-5555 or manedesk@smu.edu.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Applying for Financial Aid
SMU provides financial assistance to students with demonstrated need. To apply, students must submit:
Priority deadlines:
- First-Year Students:
- Early Decision/Early Action: November 1
- Regular Admission: February 15
- Transfer Students:
- Fall Entry: June 1
- Spring Entry: November 15
- Continuing Students: April 15 (priority processing)
Merit-Based Scholarships
All students are eligible for merit scholarships at the time of admission. Scholarship consideration is based on students demonstrating academic excellence, artistic talent, or other specific criteria (e.g., National Merit Finalists, International Baccalaureate, United Methodist clergy families).
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid Eligibility
To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, evaluated annually:
- Minimum GPA: 2.0 cumulative GPA (some scholarships may have higher requirements).
- Completion Rate: At least 75% of attempted credits must be successfully completed.
- Maximum Timeframe: Students cannot exceed 150% of the required credit hours for their degree.
Financial Aid Appeals
Students failing to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards risk losing financial aid eligibility, but may appeal through Student Financial Services. If the appeal is approved, aid eligibility will temporarily be re-established on a probationary basis.
Students experiencing unusual financial circumstances that directly impact the ability to pay for educational expenses may submit a Special Financial Circumstances Appeal with the Financial Aid Office. Additional details are available on the Student Financial Services website.
Veterans Benefits and Certification
Veterans’ education benefits are certified through the Office of the University Registrar. More information is available on the SMU Veterans Services website at smu.edu/EnrollmentServices/Veterans.
Graduate and Professional Student Financial Aid
Graduate students may receive:
- Institutional grants, scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships, awarded by their academic department.
- State and federal loans, based on FAFSA submission (School Code: 003613).
For more details, visit the SMU Student Financial Services website at smu.edu/enrollmentservices/sfs or contact:
Division of Enrollment Services - Student Financial Services
Southern Methodist University
PO Box 750181, Dallas, TX 75275-0181
Phone: 214-768-5555
Email: manedesk@smu.edu
Meadows Graduate Programs Student Financial Aid
Tuition scholarships and graduate assistantships are available in limited quantity. No student with ability should hesitate to apply to Southern Methodist University and Meadows School because of financial need. Information concerning these awards may be obtained by contacting Pam Henderson, pghender@smu.edu, Office of Scholarships, 214-768-3314, Meadows School of the Arts, PO Box 750356, Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX 75275-0356. All candidates for graduate awards are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA application may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. (International students on the F1 visa are exempt from this requirement.) For primary consideration, graduate applicants should file by March 1. In addition to awards offered through Meadows School of the Arts, student loans and grants for Texas residents may be available to students who meet the financial need requirements. To obtain additional information on need-based aid, students should contact Division of Enrollment Services, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750181, Dallas TX 75275-0181, phone 214-768-3417, email Enrol_Serv@smu.edu.
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