Financial Aid FAQs

Your eligibility depends on meeting the requirements for receiving financial assistance from various federal and state programs. To find out if you qualify, you must fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal school code for Cincinnati State is 010345.

The Office of Financial Aid will process your FAFSA and then, using your Cincinnati State email and personal email, will communicate with you about your financial aid eligibility, any documents required to complete your financial aid offer, and next steps in the aid process.

Students who receive financial aid are also responsible for knowing and maintaining eligibility requirements to continue receiving aid. Students who receive federal student aid must submit a new FASFA form each year. 

Yes, Cincinnati State offers institutional scholarships. Scholarship applications are evaluated on academic merit, financial need, volunteering or community service, and career goals. Every year the application opens on November 1st, and the deadline is February 15th.

Yes. If you are receiving a scholarship or tuition assistance from an outside source (not Cincinnati State), you must report this to the Office of Financial Aid. Cincinnati State may be required to adjust your financial aid offer. 

The Cincinnati State financial aid award year includes the Fall (beginning in August) and Spring (beginning in January) semesters. Summer is a trailer to the academic year and only eligible for financial aid not utilized during the fall and spring semesters. 

No. You can apply for financial aid once the new year FAFSA is available. However, to receive financial aid, you must apply to Cincinnati State and be admitted into an eligible degree or certificate program.

The Office of Financial Aid emails students who have applied for financial aid at their Cincinnati State email and personal email. You will be able to view your financial aid offer online. Login into your MyCState account, select “Self-Service,” and view your aid offer under “Financial Aid.”

Financial aid is applied to your tuition and fee bill after No-Show processing (the period during which your instructors verify your class attendance) is complete. Typically, this disbursement takes place around the 6th week of the semester.

Unfortunately, no. The Family Education Right Privacy Act (FERPA) does not allow us to speak to anyone other than the student regarding financial aid issues. For more information, see FERPA FAQs, or contact the Office of the Registrar at (513) 569-1522. 

Withdrawing from school may require you to repay a portion of your financial aid. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to recalculate aid eligibility based on your withdrawal date and the last date you attended classes (as reported by your instructors).

Any refundable amount of financial aid used toward tuition and fees will be returned to the appropriate financial aid source(s). In addition, you have an obligation to complete Exit Counseling. 
 
Review the No-Show Policy and the Policy for Return of Title IV Funds for more information about regulations for federal student aid if you withdraw from school. 

As a recipient of financial aid, you must meet the standards of Cincinnati State’s policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress. You must complete at least 67 percent (two-thirds) of your classes and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in order to continue receiving federal financial aid.

If you receive all “F” grades for a semester, your financial aid may be adjusted, and a portion of your aid award may need to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.  Your financial aid is recalculated based on your last date of class attendance as reported by your instructors.

Non-federal student aid, such as scholarships and private loans, may also have academic standards and/or attendance requirements. Failure to meet these standards may result in loss of scholarship or loan assistance and may even require repayment. 

If you drop a class, it may affect your financial aid eligibility and your award amount. You also may be responsible for paying for the portion of the semester/term before you dropped the class, even if you did not attend. 
 
Review the No-Show Policy  and the Policy for Return of Title IV Funds for more information about regulations for federal student aid if you drop your classes. 

Not immediately. Federal Direct Student Loans have a grace period of six months before the student must begin repaying the loan.  If you already used up the grace period during your time in school, you must begin repaying your loan immediately upon graduation. It is possible to request an extension to the grace period before it ends. Please contact your loan servicer to request an extension. Private student loans may have grace period regulations that are different from the information above. 

If you have unique circumstances—such as the loss of a job, a substantial reduction in income, or extraordinary medical expenses—please contact the Office of Financial Aid.  We can review individual circumstances on a case-by-case basis, but you typically must provide documentation and complete additional steps to change FAFSA information. 

Verification is a process which checks the accuracy of the information reported on the FAFSA.  Submission of additional documentation is required. If selected for verification, the process must be completed before financial aid can be awarded. If you are selected for verification, you will be notified through your Cincinnati State or personal email.