President's Opportunity Promise Award Program

An expansion to the OHIO Admission Promise, the President's Opportunity Promise Award for Fall 2024 is part of our ongoing commitment to access and affordability, and our commitment to serving the students of our region. This award will make it possible for qualifying Pell-eligible students in Athens County and all contiguous Ohio counties to attend Ohio University tuition-free. The scholarship will cover remaining Athens campus in-state tuition and mandatory fees after subtracting a student’s Pell Grant and other federal, state and institutional gift aid.

Pell-eligible first-year students who are Ohio residents (defined by permanent address on application for admission) of Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Vinton or Washington County; have earned a minimum 3.0 high school GPA on a strong college prep curriculum; apply by the extended deadline of March 15, 2024; ensure their FAFSA results are received by the first-priority deadline, which has been extended to April 15, 2024; confirm their intent to enroll by May 15, 2024 (extended!); and enroll at OHIO’s Athens campus for the fall 2024 semester as a full-time, first-year, degree-seeking student are eligible for the President's Opportunity Promise Award for Fall 2024. 

Yes! If you’ve already applied to the Athens campus for fall 2024, make sure your FAFSA results are sent to OHIO by the extended first-priority date, April 15, 2024, to be considered for the President's Opportunity Promise Award.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the application for all federal, state and institutional financial aid at Ohio University, including the Federal Pell Grant. Students can file their FAFSA at fafsa.gov in December for the 2024-2025 aid year. Ohio University will use the results of your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for a Pell Grant, and if so, how much you’re eligible to receive. For best consideration for need-based awards, the results of your FAFSA must be received by Ohio University by the first-priority date, which has been extended to April 15, 2024, for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students may be considered for other need-based aid on a rolling basis after the priority date. Ohio University's federal school code is 003100.

The President's Opportunity Promise Award is available to eligible students pursuing any of our undergraduate bachelor’s or associate degree programs at the Athens campus. Awarded in fall and spring, the President’s Opportunity Promise is renewable for four years (eight semesters) for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, or two years (four semesters) for students pursuing an associate degree.

Yes, of course! Even if you don’t qualify for the President's Opportunity Promise, we look forward to receiving your application and your FAFSA. Through our holistic review process, you will receive a careful and thorough review of your application, including any optional materials you choose to submit, such as test scores, an essay, or letters of recommendation. We care about all the ways you can show you are academically prepared to attend college.

Qualified students interested in attending a regional campus in fall 2024 may be eligible to attend tuition-free through the OHIO Regional Promise Award or for consideration for the Regional Advantage Awards or other scholarships specific to a regional campus. The OHIO President’s Opportunity Promise is a pilot program for OHIO’s Athens campus for students entering fall 2024.

This program is for freshmen, but transfer applicants who are ready for a change in their higher education plans are welcome to apply to OHIO and will be reviewed in accordance with our transfer admission guidelines and will be eligible for consideration for our fall 2024 transfer scholarship programs.

The President's Opportunity Promise Award may not be combined with some University scholarships, full-tuition Employee/Dependent Educational Benefits, or any other award valued at full tuition. In spring 2024, students who qualify for the President's Opportunity Promise in addition to other aid will receive information from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships about whether or how awards may be combined.

• The President's Opportunity Promise Award is renewable for up to four consecutive years of undergraduate study (two semesters per year) at OHIO’s Athens campus for students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. The award is renewable for up to two consecutive years of undergraduate study (two semesters per year) at OHIO’s Athens campus for students enrolled in an associate degree. 
• The President's Opportunity Promise Award requires enrollment in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester and a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0.
• For renewal, recipients must file the FAFSA annually by the published first-priority deadline of January 15. 
• Renewal is contingent upon continued eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, which may vary in value annually. 
• Please note: For fall 2024, FAFSA results must be received by April 15, 2024; for eligibility in subsequent years, the priority deadline will be January 15.
   

The President’s Opportunity Promise applies to eligible fall 2024 applicants at this time. We’ll share more information about application requirements and scholarship programs for the 2025 application cycle next year. Join our mailing list to stay informed!