If your family is experiencing a reduction in income or resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic or for any reason, Ohio University is here to help. If you have not yet filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2021-22 aid year, you can file at https://fafsa.gov. The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships has an online Change of Income application for admitted undergraduate students. In order to complete this application, students must have already filed a FAFSA, been offered financial aid, and have completed verification, if required. The Change of Income application allows families, who have an EFC greater than zero, to enter estimated 2021 tax year income. The estimated 2021 income information will be compared to your actual 2019 information provided on the FAFSA. If your 2021 income estimates show a reduction, your FAFSA will be updated to reflect those estimates and your financial aid eligibility will be reviewed based on the updated FAFSA. To request access to the Change of Income form, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Our office is committed to priority processing of Change of Income applications for students affected by COVID-19. Upon completion of the online application, students should provide the signature page and supporting documents as soon as possible. We recommend you use our Secure Upload Portal. This is a secure method to transmit your documents to our office. When using this portal, we recommend that you do not use a Safari browser. You can also submit documents by fax (740.593.4140) or by mail to:

Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships

1 Ohio University

Chubb Hall 020

Athens, OH  45701

Our priority processing timeline is two to three weeks.

Students who are receiving financial aid due to an approved SAP appeal and choose not to attend during for a semester must make sure they drop all courses prior to the start of the semester. Fall semester begins August 23. Please notify our office by e-mail that you do not plan to attend, we will move your semester of eligibility to the next semester. If you do not plan to attend for the entire 2021-22 academic year, you will need to complete a new academic plan when you intend to return. Additionally, you must have been meeting the terms and conditions of your SAP approval after your last semester of attendance. 

Students who opted to request a Satisfactory (S) grade for a fall or spring semester will have that grade count positively toward their completion percentage in the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculation and review. The grade of S has a neutral impact on grade point average. If you had an approved SAP appeal for the fall or spring semester and have questions about how the S grade impacted your approval or denial for future semester financial aid, please contact our office. Review the SAP website for additional details on Ohio University's SAP policy. For more information about these grading policies, please visit the University Registrar's Coronavirus Response website. 

Both Satisfactory (S) and No Credit (NC) grades do not impact grade point impact, these grades, individually, do not negatively affect scholarship renewability. Students who did not have cumulative grade point average prior to the fall semester 2020 and who opted for all S grades for fall and spring semester, will have their scholarship(s) renewed. Students who did not have cumulative grade point average prior to the fall semester 2020 and who opted for all NC grades for fall and spring semester, will not have their scholarship(s) renewed.

Ohio University has an Emergency Microgrant program available to help OHIO students who are experiencing financial difficulty. These funds are designated to help alleviate the short-term financial needs of students across all of OHIO’s campuses. Visit the Microgrant website for more information and to apply. 

Ohio University has received federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II). In total, we have distributed $19,475,432 in emergency grants from these funds through the OHIO CARES Relief Fund. The purpose of these grants is to assist students with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus pandemic. These expenses can include tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

 Please visit the CARES Act Reporting website to view CARES distribution details. 

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides a third round of funding (HEERF III) to institutions. Ohio University will be awarding more OHIO CARES Relief Fund emergency grants in the 2021-22 year. Students should watch their Ohio University e-mail for application details in early fall.

The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships has experienced, expert staff ready to assist you with your financial aid-related questions. We are available for in-person appointments in our offices on the ground floor of Chubb Hall. You can also schedule a virtual appointment with your assigned financial aid advisor. You can call our office at 740.593.4141 or you can reach us by e-mail at any time.