Financial Aid Requirements
Important information about financial aid
The following requirements for financial aid are applicable to students applying for financial aid by completing the FAFSA application, as well as to students who receive financial aid.
Students must be familiar with and abide by all federal, state, and institutional policies governing the receipt of financial aid funds. We encourage students to review these policies and requirements to assist you in your educational endeavors.
Questions about these policies should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships by email or by calling (513) 569-1530.
Eligibility for Aid
Enrollment
Disbursements
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Withdrawals and Refunds
Eligibility for Aid
To receive financial aid from the federal financial aid programs, a student must:
- Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) Certificate
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program. We encourage students to apply at least six to eight weeks in advance of the term you wish to enroll.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Not be in default on a federal student loan or owe money back on a federal student grant
- Register with the Selective Service, if required
- Have demonstrated financial need
- Meet all applicable deadlines
- Make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Not have been convicted for any illegal drug offense while receiving federal financial aid funds
- Financial aid must not exceed Cost of Attendance
2012 - 2013 Cost of Attendance (12/FA - 13/SU)
In State Out of State
Dependent $12,564 $17,892
Independent $15,420 $20,748
Detailed information on these and other financial aid eligibility criteria may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. Visit the Office of Financial Aid in Room 155 Main Building, email or call (513) 569-1530 for more information.
Enrollment
Financial aid will be adjusted according to your hours of enrollment.
For financial aid purposes:
- Full-time enrollment = 12 or more credit hours
- Three-quarter time enrollment = 9 to 11 credit hours
- Half-time enrollment = 6 to 8 credit hours
- Less-than half-time enrollment = 1 to 5 credit hours
Students must be enrolled for at least half time (six credit hours) to be eligible for loans. Any time a Stafford loan-borrowing student withdraws to less then six credit hours takes off a term, or enrolls less than half time, exit counseling is required. Even though a student may intend to return to Cincinnati State within at least six credit hours, the student is required by federal regulations to complete exit counseling as their repayment deferment time period has begun.
Class attendance is required
Each student is expected to attend all scheduled classes. Each Cincinnati State College faculty member will take attendance at every class session. Each student should check with his or her instructor to determine how attendance will be taken, and in what ways, if any, attendance is a factor in grading. A student who enrolls but did not attend any classes, does not officially drop or withdraw from the class, or withdraws from a course without having attended the class, will be designated as a no show (NS). The NS designation does not appear on a student’s official academic transcript, however:
- A student who receives an NS designation is financially responsible for payment of the course.
- A student is not permitted to withdraw from a course in which a NS designation has been assigned.
- A student who registers and receives student loan proceeds but attends less than half-time (six credit hours) is ineligible for all loan proceeds. Cincinnati State will return to the lender any loan proceeds used to cover tuition cost and notify the lender that the student has failed to qualify for the loan. Students who receive a refund of their loan proceeds to cover educational expenses must first repay the lender the amount received before Cincinnati State can certify additional loan eligibility for the student
- The Office of Financial Aid is required to recalculate a student’s Pell Grant award to reflect only those classes for which the student actually began attendance.
Disbursements
Although financial aid is disbursed to a student that meets certain eligibility criteria, Cincinnati State is obligated to ensure that students earn this money by attending classes.
The Office of Financial Aid is mandated by the federal government to assure that every student who receives federal financial aid has attended at least once every class for which the student registered. If it is determined that a student has not attended class, Cincinnati State is required to take away the portion of financial aid the student did not earn in order for Cincinnati State to be in compliance with federal regulations.
Regulations dictate that a pro-rata schedule be used to determine the amount of Title IV funds a student has earned when he or she completely withdraws after commencing attendance in a given term. Up through the 60% point in each payment period (term), a pro-rata schedule is used to determine how much Title IV funds the student has earned at the time of the withdrawal. After the 60% point in the payment period (term), a student has earned 100%of the Title IV funds.
Cincinnati State establishes disbursement dates that confirm the Office of Financial Aid pays students the correct amount of financial aid. Once funds are disbursed, the business office has, by law, 14 days to provide a check.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
A student is expected to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward the completion of course requirement. Progress toward course requirements is measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. SAP will be checked at the end of each term.
Click here to access the document “Satisfactory Academic Progress.”
Students who choose to appeal a SAP suspension or termination must provide an Appeal Request and Progress Review.
Withdrawals and Refunds
The Higher Education Act of 1998, as amended, substantially changed the way funds are to be handled when a recipient of Title IV (federal) funds completely withdraws (officially or unofficially) in a given term. The Department of Education (ED) regulations require that students earn their eligibility for Title IV funds through attendance in classes. If a Title IV recipient ceases to be enrolled prior the end of the term, the student’s eligibility for Title IV funding must be recalculated. The recalculation process (R2T4) may require that portions of the Title IV funding be returned to the funding source.
Official Withdrawals
Upon dropping all classes for any given term, a student is considered to have officially withdrawn from Cincinnati State, even if future enrollment is anticipated. To officially withdraw, a student MUST submit the Course Withdrawal Form to the Office of the Registrar. A student who completely withdraws after the fourteenth day of the term will be subject to a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation and will have to return a pro-rated portion of their financial aid to Cincinnati State.
Unofficial Withdrawals
Students will be considered an unofficial withdrawal if she/he receives a failing grade (F) in all classes for which the student was registered in the term and began class attendance. A student can appeal this unofficial withdrawal status to the Office of Financial Aid by the deadline indicated in their notice. The student must, in her/his appeal, provide documentation from the instructor, dean, or assistant dean of the applicable division. The following are acceptable forms of such documentation: exams, records of attendance, tutorials, computer-assisted instruction, counseling, academic advisement, or study groups. The withdrawal date for a student considered an unofficial withdrawal will be the midpoint of the term for which Title IV funds were disbursed unless proved otherwise through the appeal process.
The withdrawal date is the date the student signs and submits the Course Withdrawal Form to the Office of the Registrar for students who officially withdraw from the College. Student’s who do not officially withdraw from the College may be considered an unofficial withdrawal if she/he receives a failing grade in all classes for which the student was registered in the term and began class attendance. A student can appeal this unofficial withdrawal status to the Office of Financial Aid in 10 working days of the date official notification was sent to the student. The student must in her/his appeal provide documentation, which can be confirmed by the instructor, dean or assistant dean of the applicable division. The following are acceptable forms of such documentation: exams, records of attendance, tutorials, computer-assisted instruction, counseling, academic advisement, or study groups. The withdrawal date for a student considered an unofficial withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the term for which Title IV funds were disbursed.
If a student receives less Title IV program funds than the amount earned, the college must comply with the procedures for late disbursement specified by the Department of Education regulations. If a student receives more Title IV program funds than the amount earned, the college will return the unearned funds, as required and in the order specified, to the Title IV program(s). The student will owe the amount returned to the College and must pay this amount before registering for any subsequent terms or make satisfactory repayment arrangements with the College Bursar’s Office.
Refunds on behalf of a Title IV aid recipient must be distributed in the following order:
- Federal Unsubsidized Stafford
- Federal Subsidized Stafford
- Federal PLUS (Parent Loan)
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEOG
- Other federal, state, private or institutional sources of aid
- Student
Repayments from Title IV recipients must be distributed as follows:
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal SEOG
- Other Title IV programs
- Other federal, state, private or institutional sources of aid
