Navigating South University: A Comprehensive Guide to Resources and Support

South University is committed to providing students with the resources and support they need to succeed in their academic pursuits. This guide aims to provide prospective and current students with essential information about accessing various services, understanding financial aid, and ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment.

Becoming an Informed Consumer

South University strives to ensure that all prospective students are well-informed about the institution and its offerings. The university provides consumer information documents and reports upon request in writing. Additionally, those interested in South University's Online Programs can visit the campus location page for more details.

Funding Your Education: Financial Aid and Resources

At South University, financial aid is available to those who qualify. The university aims to help students understand the financial aspects of their education.

Net Price Calculator

First-time college students planning to attend full-time can use the Net Price Calculator to estimate the cost of attending South University's Online Programs. Please note that the results are approximations and not actual award amounts.

FAFSA Application

To be considered for federal or state financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal aid policies are subject to change, and the government reserves the right to modify them. The Financial Aid Office can answer questions about how these changes might affect a student's financial aid award.

Read also: Applying to USF Doctoral Programs

Financial Aid Information

Financial aid information is published online and is available in print upon request.

Special or Unusual Circumstances

Students with special or unusual circumstances can request professional judgment consideration in writing, providing dated supporting documentation. The University does not have any categories of circumstances that apply automatically to students in those circumstances.

iGrad

South University encourages students to use iGrad for financial knowledge and guidance. This resource offers short video presentations, articles, calculators, games, and a job search function, providing valuable tips for understanding financial aid and managing finances.

Loan Repayment

When repaying loans, it's advisable to choose a plan that allows for the fastest repayment. While longer repayment periods result in smaller monthly payments, they increase the total amount paid over time.

Federal Loan Repayment Options

Depending on the overall federal loan amount and financial situation, different repayment options may be available, including Standard, Extended, Income Contingent, and Income Based plans. Not all plans are available to all students. The federal government may change the terms of these plans at any time.

Entrance and Exit Counseling

First-time borrowers must complete an entrance counseling session, which offers tips for budgeting and understanding loan responsibilities. Direct loan exit counseling explains the borrower's rights and responsibilities.

Cost of Attendance

The financial aid office uses direct costs (tuition, fees, some books and supplies, and institutional housing) and indirect costs (other living expenses, transportation, and personal expenses) to determine financial aid eligibility.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

Federal loan and Pell grant information is submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), accessible to schools, lenders, guarantors, and students.

Military Education Benefits

South University offers qualifying military students numerous military education benefits. If you served on active duty, you might be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. If you are currently serving in the military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. If you are the spouse or child of a service member, you may be eligible for transfer of the service member's Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to you.

College Financing Plan

South University provides a personalized College Financing Plan in accordance with the Principles of Excellence as outlined in Executive Order 13607.

Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group

If a dispute about Federal Student Aid cannot be resolved, students may contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group of the U. S. Department of Education.

Academic Success and Support

South University provides a nurturing atmosphere and has established a mandatory Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to help provide guidelines for students in maintaining their academic progress toward completion of a degree. Failure to comply with the established SAP policy could result in a loss of financial aid eligibility along with eventual academic probation and dismissal. Please be aware that dropping courses, reducing course load, and failing courses will negatively affect your academic progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The school has established periodic checkpoints to monitor student progress and to provide early intervention and corrective measures when appropriate. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of and understand the current SAP policy, which is available in the school catalog.

Articulation Agreements

South University has articulation agreements with other institutions, outlining transferable courses. It is at the discretion of the receiving institution (campus) as to which credits will or will not be accepted for transfer. The student should review the articulation agreement to make sure they understand whether courses they wish to transfer in are included in the articulation agreement.

Cash Management Arrangements

Institutions are required to publicly disclose any contract that governs a cash management arrangement, as well as information about the costs incurred by students who elect to use a financial account offered under this arrangement. Eligible students are required to log in to their profile on the BankMobile Disbursements web site and select their preferred stipend delivery method.

Health and Safety

South University takes issues surrounding health and safety very seriously. The training also provides resources for reporting and resolving violence. Our schools prohibit the crimes of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In the event of an emergency, our alert system will be enabled where timely information and instruction regarding the status of the emergency will be provided.

Loan Calculators

If you will be utilizing student loans to help pay for your education, we have provided a few loan calculators as helpful resources to get an idea of what your loan repayment options and amounts might be. All results are estimates based on information that you will provide and cannot be considered an offer or promise of any kind as to your actual loan repayment amounts.

College Scorecard

A consumer tool that provides school information to include tuition and fees, retention and graduation rates, use of financial aid, and student loan default rates; it also features a cost calculator and school comparison tool.

Paying for College Web Page

The Paying for College web page can be used by prospective students to enter the names of up to three schools and actual financial aid award information and receive detailed financial information on each school.

Career Services

The Career Services Department partners with students and graduates to seek appropriate employment during all stages of your education.

Employment Statistics

To find out more about our employment statistics, including placement rates and average salaries, download our graduate employment statistics.

Cohort Default Rates

For information on cohort default rates, please click here. Cohort default rates help to measure the percentage of students within a specific cohort who enter into repayment on federal student loans within a specific timeframe. The United States government releases official data once per academic year, with the new rates scheduled to be released in September of this year.

Licensing Exams

Some programs either require or suggest that students pass licensing exams in order to move forward in their chosen field and career. For more information on specific requirements, test information, location, and dates, please speak with your Academic Counselor.

South Edge

Students may access South Edge through Bright Space or the student portal. South Edge is an on line career preparation platform with tools such as a resume builder, interview simulator, ePortfolio and access to professional development training 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.

Career Services Assistance

Students should seek out the assistance of the Director of Career Services or Career Services Advisors during the final year of school. Information is available regarding resume writing and job search strategies and techniques. The Career Services Office provides individualized job search assistance with pursuing full-time employment. Career workshops as well as theme weeks based on academic majors are held throughout the school year to aid students in their professional development.

Campus Resources and Technology

Computer Labs

The computer labs house Windows-compatible multimedia computers with Internet access and printing capability. The library also maintains a computer lab that is available during the hours that the library is open. Priority for computer use goes to academic classes and tutoring first, and then to South University students.

Student Communications

Students will also receive official college communications via web alert and text messaging. Students have the preference of opting out of text communication.

Student Portal

Students may access the Student Portal. Portal accounts are available for all actively enrolled students, and students may directly access student resources, grades, financial aid information, student accounts, digital bookshelf, on line classroom, messages and alerts, Office 365, and academic information.

Mobile Site

Students may log on to the South University Mobile site from any iOS or Android device to access the student portal, view assignments and grades, participate in discussions, and access key contacts among other features.

Counseling Services and Mental Health Support

Students seek counseling and mental health services for a variety of reasons through their academic journey. UWill at South provides students with access to mental health resources at no additional charge, 24 hours per day/ 7 days per week.

UWill at South

With UWill at South, all students have access to:

24/7/365 mental health services line for in-the-moment support from counselors and regardless the time of day or your location. Call 833-464-1526 to reach the 24/7 support line.
Telehealth counseling sessions. These are available to you regardless of your location.
The Wellness Hub, which includes articles and videos on mental health and wellness topics, including mental and emotional health, fitness and nutrition, academic performance, stress management, healthy relationships and more. To access the Wellness Hub, go to app.uwill.com or download the CampusWell app at campuswell.com/get-the-app

Students in need of support should contact UWill at South at 833-464-1526.

Library Services and Resources

The open-stack book collection provides access to reference and circulating materials, program-specific resources to support class assignments, tutorial aides, and current events and recreational reading. The combined campus libraries have more than 120,000 print book titles, 7600 AV titles, 150 print journal titles, and 27 newspapers in their collections. Access to additional journals, newspapers, e-books, and other materials is provided through over 100 electronic databases. Research Guides are a content management resource that provide program related content in an easy to use, all in one place format.

Library Orientation

New students participate in a library orientation to help familiarize them with the facilityâs resources and procedures. Please take advantage of this session to update your research skills.

Library Access

Valid student ID cards are required to check out materials. If a card is lost, the student should report the loss to the bookstore as soon as possible. Most materials may be checked out for a two-week period. Students will be fined for overdue reserves or audiovisuals and charged a replacement fee for all materials that are not returned. Reference materials, pamphlets, vertical files and periodicals are available for use in the library only. All items must be properly checked out at the circulation desk. Failure to comply is an infringement of library policy and the âCode of Conduct.â Students will be held responsible for the loss or damage of materials while in their possession and are subject to the library rules and regulations as outlined in the Library Policy and Procedure Manual.

Library Services

Duplicating services, interlibrary loan and printing services are available in the library, as well as access to the Internet, Microsoft Office Suite, and individual reference services.

Online Library Access

To access the Online Library, students can follow the link to the library from their academic class. Alternatively, students can access the Online Library from their Student Portal under âMy Academics,â by clicking on âLibrary Resources.

Military and Veterans Affairs

Military students are encouraged to ask about academic support, financial aid advising, disability services or career counseling that is made available on campus. Students in on-campus programs should contact the Financial Aid department for financial aid advising, their Academic Advisor for academic support, or the Dean of Student Affairs for disability services and career counseling. Students in online programs should request information from their Academic Counselor, Student Finance Counselor or Assistant Director of Admissions.

Veterans Administration Policies

Veteran students need to be aware of the following veteranâs administration policies that apply to anyone using veteransâ educational benefits.Veterans must consult with the financial aid office prior to changing their program of study. The Veterans Administration will not pay for a course that the student withdraws from mitigating circumstances can be proven. Please see a financial aid representative before withdrawing from a class. The Veterans Administration will pay for a repeat course only if the student has received a failing grade in said course or if the program requires a higher grade than the one achieved and only if it is required for graduation.

Additional Support Services

Advising Services

Short-term counseling services are available to assist students in resolving academic, career, and personal problems. University personnel can help students plan their educational programs, as well as adjust to the demands of university level studies. Personal advising is provided for any student who seeks aid in solving and understanding individual problems. Advising services are available at all campuses during the day and in the evening by appointment through the dean of student affairs. Students identified as needing additional counseling resources will be referred to external agencies. Fully online students should contact their Academic Counselor to obtain advising services information.

Digital Bookshelves and Digital Textbooks

A majority of South University courses now include digital textbooks (eBooks) that help to enhance the learning experience by providing instant and convenient access to course materials. Digital textbooks are accessible from within courses, which are then placed in each studentâs unique bookshelf accounts. More information on digital bookshelvesâincluding account-creation help, troubleshooting, and featuresâis available in the Student Portal. In the event that a digital textbook is not available, students are responsible for independently purchasing hard-copy traditional textbooks that are not digitally accessible in courses.

Campus Security and Safety

Annual Security Report

South University publishes an annual security report that contains information concerning policies and programs relating to campus security, crimes and emergencies, the prevention of crimes and sexual offenses, drug and alcohol use, campus law enforcement and access to campus facilities. The annual security report also includes statistics concerning the occurrence of specified types of crimes on campus, at certain off-campus locations, and on the public property surrounding the campus. The annual security report is published each year by October 1 and contains statistics for the three most recent calendar years. The annual security report is provided to all current students and employees. A copy of the most recent annual security report may be obtained from the Student Affairs office during regular business hours. The crime log is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Student Affairs office. South University will report to the campus community concerning the occurrence of any crime includable in the annual security report that is reported to campus security or local police and that is considered to be a threat to students or employees.

Student Responsibility

South University reminds all students that they are ultimately responsible for their own actions regarding their safety and welfare.

Disability Services

Qualified students requesting reasonable and appropriate accommodations receive services to eliminate physical, programmatic and attitudinal barriers that may arise with disabilities. Students who seek reasonable accommodations should notify the Dean of Student Affairs at their campus location. Students will be asked to submit medical documentation of the need for accommodation to the campus Dean of Student Affairs. Classroom accommodations are not retroactive, but are effective only upon the student sharing approved accommodations with the instructor. Therefore, students are encouraged to request accommodations as early as during the Admissions process to allow for time to gather necessary documentation.

Complaints

Complaints will be handled in accordance with the schoolâs Internal Grievance Procedure for Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment included in this section of the Academic Catalog.

Prioritizing Health and Wellness

Health and wellness is an active and lifelong process, involving positive decision making and finding balance between priorities. It is tied to awareness and to making choices that lead to being happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives. As a South University student, you have access to a free resource for counseling called the UWill. The services provided include mental health counseling, and a wellness hub, which includes articles and videos on mental health and wellness topics, including mental and emotional health, fitness and nutrition, academic performance, stress management, healthy relationships and more.

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