Announcing a great new service for students receiving financial aid - the SWC Access Card!
Southwestern College is partnering with Higher One® to bring a new method for receiving financial aid refunds/disbursement and managing money to Southwestern College students by the SWC Access Card. Students will now be able to choose how they receive their funds – electronically deposited to their current checking account, continuing to receive a paper check, as in the past, or having funds deposited electronically to a new Higher One® checking account. Students can now choose the method that works best for them, while receiving disbursements more efficiently and securely.
If you have received a green “Get started now” packet from Higher One®, just choose the option that best fits your needs and be sure to get started as soon as it arrives! Only those students who have been awarded financial aid will be receiving one of these packets! Please activate your card and make your choice as soon as possible to ensure there is no delay in receiving your funds!
What does the SWC Access Card mean for students?
It means more choices for managing your money and receiving your Financial Aid refunds/disbursements. Our partnership with Higher One ensures faster delivery of your disbursement/refunds we may have for you and smarter ways to manage that money.
What if I need help signing up?
We will have staff available from 10am -1pm each day to answer your questions and assist you in signing up for this new service. Please just come to the Financial Aid counter, 1st floor of the Cesar Chavez Center, and go to the small computer kiosk to the left of the counter. We have also set up a special email address just for you to answer questions and help you with the process. Please contact us at swcaccesscard@swccd.edu. There are also a number of instructional videos on the www.SWCAccessCard.com website to walk you through the sign up process and answer your questions
Why are we making this change?
For years, students have been asking us to find a way to allow them to have their financial aid disbursements automatically deposited to their checking accounts, rather than having for wait for a check to arrive in the mail and then having to go the bank to get it cashed or deposited. This is a direct response to those requests - the HigherOne solution allows us to offer this service to students, ensuring funds are delivered faster and safer while reducing processing time and minimizing costs.
Who is Higher One?
Higher One is a company started by three college students who believed in a better way to help students receive and manage money. HigherOne now provides services for over half the community colleges in the state of California and works with over 600 colleges and universities nation-wide, serving more than 10 million students every year.
Helpful links:
Have questions? Click here for a helpful FAQ for students. (FAQ attached)
Click here to access the SWC Access Card Website to make your choice and activate your disbursement delivery choice.
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Financial Aid Disbursement Schedule