Student rights, responsibilities and disclosures
Student's rights
- You have the right to privacy (FERPA). All records and information submitted with your application for financial aid are confidential and subject to legal requirements concerning disclosure of such information.
More information regarding FERPA and the privacy and release of student information.
- You have the right to know your educational costs. This includes costs for tuition and fees, living expenses (housing and food), as well as the estimates for books, supplies, course materials and equipment, transportation, federal student loan fees, personal miscellaneous expenses, and required licensure or first credential fees used in determining your financial aid cost of attendance. See
sfa.osu.edu (select student type tab, under About Aid, click Cost of Attendance).
- You have the right to know what financial aid programs are available to you, including all federal, state and university financial aid programs, including the procedures and forms necessary to apply, student eligibility requirements, selection criteria and for determining the amount of a student’s award for these programs.
- If you have returned your application materials by the priority filing date, you will be considered for every requested financial aid program for which you may be eligible and for which there are available funds. Students who do not meet the priority filing date will not be considered for university-administered funds, including scholarships, institutional grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS), unless there are funds remaining.
- You have the right to certain student consumer information. Federal regulations require that institutions provide specific consumer information about the school and about financial aid to enrolled and prospective students. Visit the consumer information section of the SFA website to view the required disclosures.
- You have the right to know how to apply for financial aid. For more information visit
sfa.osu.edu (select student type, Apply for Aid).
- Official notification will be sent to you (also to parents for PLUS loans) no earlier than ten days before the start of each term when loan funds have been credited to your university account. You have the right to cancel all or part of your federal loan disbursement. Submit a written request to Student Financial Aid (SFA) within 14 days from the date you receive official notification that loan funds have been credited to your university account. For more information see chart below.
- You have a right to know the academic standards you must maintain in order to have continued financial aid eligibility, commonly known as Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Financial aid and scholarship awards are based on 1) maintaining the required level of enrollment necessary for each program, 2) meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress and 3) the information you supplied on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or the ScholarshipUniverse application. Financial aid and scholarship awards are subject to revision if your information should change and/or you receive additional aid that exceeds your demonstrated financial need.
- Financial aid and scholarship awards are subject to change based on available funding.
Student's responsibilities
- It is your responsibility to obtain and complete any necessary financial aid application forms and submit them in a timely manner. You must read and understand all forms you are asked to sign and keep a copy of each.
- It is your responsibility to provide complete and correct information. You (and your parent or spouse, where appropriate) must confirm the accuracy of the information you provide. Information found to be incorrect may serve as the basis for increase, decrease or cancellation of aid. Information found to be knowingly falsified may result in disciplinary action or referral to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.
- It is your responsibility to report any additional financial aid such as scholarships, grants and loans, graduate or undergraduate assistantships or fellowships, and other educational or tuition assistance.
- It is your responsibility to pay any past due balances. Students must pay tuition, all fees and prior term balances by the due date listed on the Statement of Account. This includes the first installment of the Tuition Option Payment Plan (TOPP). For more information visit https://busfin.osu.edu/bursar/paytuition /
- It is your responsibility to begin attendance in all of the classes for which you receive financial aid. If you withdraw from or fail a class you did not begin attending, your federal financial aid may be reduced or canceled. Academic attendance includes physically attending class, submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam or participating in an online discussion that is part of a course delivery.
- It is your responsibility to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress policies and standards of The Ohio State University in order to maintain financial aid eligibility. For more information visit
Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- It is your responsibility to repay all loans according to your repayment schedule. You are not eligible for financial aid if you are in default on any federal loans for attendance at any institution. Federal loans include National Direct or National Defense Student Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Health Professions Student Loan, Nursing Student Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and Federal Parent PLUS Loan.
- It is your responsibility to complete and return all required promissory notes and acceptance forms.
- It is your responsibility to activate your
Ohio State email account. You must activate your Ohio State email account and regularly check your financial aid status, accessible via
My Buckeye Link.
Federal financial aid programs
- Federal Pell Grant (Pell)
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins) - No longer being awarded
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Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL)
- Nursing Student Loan (NSL)
- Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)
- Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans (Sub and Unsub)
- Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate and Professional Students
To receive maximum funding from the above programs, you must:
- Provide verification documentation by the designated due date (SFA receipt date) for any information requested by Student Financial Aid. A student’s financial aid will be determined after the completion of
verification.
- Demonstrate financial need (except for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and PLUS Loans).
- Have a high-school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or pass an ability-to-benefit test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or complete a high-school education in a home-school setting which is approved under state law
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Have a valid Social Security number .
- Maintain
Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid eligibility.
- Certify, by means of your signature on the FAFSA, that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
- Register with the Selective Service, if required.
- Be enrolled at least half-time to receive federal student loans. Other financial aid may be available if not enrolled at least half-time.
- Not have a bachelor's degree to be eligible for Pell Grant and FSEOG (eligibility will not extend past your term of graduation).
- Not have outstanding Federal Perkins Loans or Federal Stafford Loans (either Federal Direct or Federal Family Education Loans) in excess of the annual or aggregate loan limits.
- Not be in default on a federal student loan nor owe money on a federal student grant, and certify this by means of your signature on the FAFSA and by your signature on a promissory note.
Financial aid disbursement procedures
Eligibility checks
Financial aid payment process:
Credit balances
- Direct deposit to your personal checking or savings account. To set up direct deposit, access
My Buckeye Link. Under the Finances section, click on the "Account Refund" hyperlink. You will be directed to the appropriate website, where you can enter your deposit information.
- Paper check. If you are not signed up for direct deposit, your credit balance will be mailed to you in the form of a check. Checks are mailed to the address listed as your home/current address regardless of your campus of attendance. To update your home/current address information, go to My Buckeye Link and click on Home/Current Address in the Contact Information section.
Reductions in disbursed aid:
- SFA may reduce future disbursements of aid to make your award consistent with your eligibility status. This reduction might result in an increase of your personal financial obligation for university charges for those terms.
- SFA may reduce your aid for the current term to make your award consistent with your eligibility status. This reduction would take the form of a reduced credit placed on your account that may increase your personal financial obligation for university charges.
- SFA may reduce prior term aid which would result in an additional charge on your account. This will increase the amount you owe for university charges (or reduce your credit balance) and could result in a balance due.
Please periodically check your statement of account to ensure any balance that may be created due to an enrollment change or loss of eligibility does not remain unpaid. If you have questions regarding your eligibility for financial aid, please contact Buckeye Link at 614-292-0300 or buckeyelink@osu.edu.
Aid program | Need based? | File FAFSA each year? | FAFSA and verification priority dates apply? |
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Federal Pell Grant |
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State of Ohio grant programs |
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Freshman Foundation Program (FFP) Ohio State Grant |
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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) |
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Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) |
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Federal Direct Subsidized Loan |
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Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan | |
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Federal Perkins Loan (No longer being awarded) |
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Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) | |
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Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate and Graduate/Professional Students | |
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Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) |
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Nursing Student Loan (NSL) |
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President’s Affordability Grant |
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University Grant (formerly Scarlet and Gray Grant) |
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Buckeye Affordability Grant |
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Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship | Recipients are selected from incoming freshmen; FAFSA is required every year. | ||
Maximus Scholarship Honors Merit Scholarships Morrill Scholarship Program (MSP)*
National Buckeye Scholarship
Trustees Scholarship |
These awards are merit-based scholarships and do not require a FAFSA or ScholarshipUniverse application. Recipients are selected from incoming freshmen by Undergraduate Admissions, the University Honors and Scholars Center, or the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in consultation with Student Financial Aid.
*Please note that a separate application is required for initial MSP awards. | ||
Special eligibility scholarships Cooperative Scholarship Housing | File the ScholarshipUniverse application by your application deadline; we strongly recommend that all students file the FAFSA so they can be considered for all scholarships and other aid for which they may be eligible. |
Summary of major financial aid programs:
Program | Description | Eligibility | Terms | How to apply | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Federal Pell Grant |
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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) |
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TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) |
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Program | Description | Eligibility | Terms | How to apply |
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Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) |
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Program | Description | Eligibility | Terms | How to apply |
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President's Affordability Grant |
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University Grant (formerly Scarlet and Gray Grant) |
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Buckeye Affordability Grant (Columbus Campus) |
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Buckeye Affordability Grant (Regional Campuses/ATI) |
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Freshman Foundation Program (FFP) |
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Program | Description | Eligibility | Terms | How to apply |
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Federal Work-Study |
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Program | Description | Eligibility | Terms | How to apply |
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Federal Direct Subsidized Loan |
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Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan |
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Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan and Grad PLUS Loan |
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(No longer being awarded) |
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