Financial Aid FAQs

Your eligibility depends on meeting requirements for receiving student financial assistance from a particular financial aid program. To find out if you qualify, you must first fill out and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Include the Cincinnati State school ID code 010345 on your application. 

The Office of Financial Aid will receive your FAFSA information and communicate with you about your financial aid eligibility, using your Cincinnati State email and personal email. These communications tell you about documents required to complete your financial aid processing, and next steps to complete the financial 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 evaluated on academic merit, financial need, volunteer or community service activities, and career goals. The application process starts November 1 and the deadline is February 15 every year. 

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

The Cincinnati State financial aid award year is the Fall (begins in August) and Spring (begins is 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 funds, you must complete the application process and admitted into an eligible degree or certificate program.

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

Financial aid is applied to your tuition and fee bill after No-Show processing (your instructors verify that you are attending the classes on your schedule) 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 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 grade point average of 2.0, in order to continue receiving federal financial aid.

If you receive all “F” grades for a semester, your financial aid may be adjusted, and require a portion of the financial aid award to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.  Recalculation of your financial aid will use the last date of attendance of your classes, 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 could result in loss of the scholarship or loan assistance and may even require repayment. 

If you drop a class, it may affect your financial aid eligibility and the amount of your award. You also may be responsible for paying for the portion of the semester or term before you dropped the class, even if you did not attend the class. 
 
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 used up the grace period once before during your time in school, you will have to begin repaying your loan immediately upon graduation. It is possible to request an extension to the grace period, before the grace period 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 typically, you must provide documentation and complete additional steps to change FAFSA information. 

Verification is a process, which checks the accuracy of the information you 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. Notification of the selection for verification occurs through your Cincinnati State or personnel email.