Applying for Financial Aid

For information on how to apply for Financial Aid visit Southeast - Financial Aid Information

Federal Student Definitions

Eligibility for financial aid based on full-time status:

Full-Time Student: Enrolled for 12 credits or more per term.

Three-Quarter-Time Student: Enrolled for 9 to 11 credits per term.

One-Half-Time Student: Enrolled for 6 to 8 credits per term.

Less than Half-Time Student: Enrolled for 5 credits or fewer per term.

Note: Minnesota state grant requirements differ from federal requirements.

Application Process

A student applies for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no charge to apply for federal or state aid. This process can be completed online here. If you need assistance, contact the Financial Aid office. When completing the FAFSA, please use the Minnesota State College Southeast school code, which is 002393. A Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID will need to be created.

• NOTE: In all cases, a Social Security Number is required at the time of application. Applications will not be processed without it.

Read instructions carefully when applying for financial aid, complete every question, and pay special attention to questions on income, since that area is where most mistakes are made. To avoid mistakes and delays, please use the IRS data retrieval tool available when completing the income section of FAFSA online. Submit applications as soon as possible on or after October 1 of each year. It takes approximately one week for the FAFSA to be processed. 

• If it is necessary to confirm or correct any information provided by the applicant, reprocessing the FAFSA will take another week. 
• Contact Southeast with any corrections. It may be necessary to prove that certain reported information is correct. This may require additional forms to be completed. If additional forms are required, the college will mail and email a request to the student. All forms are available on the college website. 
• The Southeast Student Direct Deposit Authorization form is also required and should be submitted online each year.

Each step in the process must be completed promptly so that no deadlines are missed. For financial aid, a file must be completed by August 1 for Fall Semester, and 15 days prior to any other semester the applicant wishes to start. Missing a deadline may mean delays in student financial aid.

If no response is received in four weeks after sending the FAFSA, call the financial aid office at Southeast to check your application status.