Financial Aid/FAFSA for incoming Undergraduate Students

Every student is highly encouraged to file the FAFSA to be considered for the most financial aid (including scholarships, grants, loans and Federal Work-Study).

Three things to know:

1. You must file the FAFSA each year.
2.  Ohio State’s priority date for filing the FAFSA is February 15. You can still submit your FAFSA after that date, but filing before will give you priority aid consideration.
3. For an estimate of your aid, you can use Ohio State’s Net Price Calculator.

Are you new to the FAFSA? Find links to additional websites under Resources.
 

FAFSA Available

• ​December (TBD)
   

Ohio State's priority date

• ​February 15
   

Ohio State's school code

• ​003090

Applying for Aid:

​​STEP 1: Apply for admission

​​Go to apply.osu.edu.

STEP 2: File the FAFSA

The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the first step  to be considered for any type of federal or state aid and most institutional aid (including some scholarships). The Ohio State University has a priority date. You can still submit your FAFSA after that date, but be aware that filing before will provide you maximum aid consideration.

Read about the scholarships, grants, loans and part-time employment programs offered at Ohio State.​

Read about how we determine aid eligibility.

Important tips: 

• Ohio State's school code is 003090. In order to have your FAFSA data sent to Ohio State, this code must be included on the FAFSA.
• File the FAFSA each year you plan to attend.
• Your Social Security Number must be on your application for admission in order for it to link to your FAFSA. If you already applied and did not include your SSN, contact Undergraduate Admissions.
• You do not have to be admitted to the university to submit the FAFSA.

Are you new to the FAFSA? Find links to informationa​​l webs​ites​.

Collect these items before filling out the FAFSA:

1. Your FSA ID username and password. Students, parents and borrowers are required to create an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing financial aid information and electronically signing federal student aid documents. Learn how to create an FSA ID.​
2. Your tax information. Dependent students will also need their parents' tax information​.

•  
  • ​If you have filed taxes, use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool option to transfer IRS data directly into your FAFSA. The tool will ask you to log in by providing your name and other information exactly as you provided it on your tax return.
    • ​If you (or your parents) are married and filed taxes separately, or you filed a foreign return, you cannot use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
  • If the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is not available, you must provide an official copy of your IRS Tax Return Transcript.

Get details about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and visit Frequently Asked Questions. ​

STEP 3: Apply at ScholarshipUniverse

The university offers hundreds of special-eligibility scholarships with a wide variety of eligibility criteria. ScholarshipUniverse is a scholarship-matching tool that simplifies the process of finding and applying for scholarships from Ohio State and more than 10,000 external sources, such as churches, professional, civic or service organizations, private foundations, the military, and more. 

Log in to ScholarshipUniverse using your Ohio State username (lastname.#) and password and create your account. Based on your profile and your current academic status at Ohio State, you'll be matched with scholarships that you might qualify for. Be sure to complete all required steps. See user instructions and tips.

STEP 4: Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).

After you submit your FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted and includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Ohio State uses the SAR to calculate the aid it can offer you.

• Make sure your SAR is correct and complete.
• Follow these instructions if you need to make changes or corrections to your SAR.
• If you have a unique situation, please contact Buckeye Link at 614-292-0300 or buckeyelink@osu.edu.

STEP 5: Watch for your financial aid offer from Ohio State.

Financial aid notifications for newly admitted students are available to view online in late March. Check your university email account for your aid notification email and follow the instructions to review your package. Keep your contact information current via buckeylink.osu.edu.​

If there have been significant changes in your family's financial situation since the tax year used on the FAFSA, Ohio State may be able to re-evaluate your Expected Family Contribution. Download the Expected Family Contribution Appeal for more information. Note that appeals require the signature of a staff member from Buckeye Link, 281 W. Lane Ave.

STEP 6: Have you been selected for verification?

Verification is a process in which Ohio State confirms the accuracy of information provided on the FAFSA. Verification is a federally mandated program to ensure accuracy in the administration of federal financial aid.

• ​If you are selected for verification, Ohio State will notify you via your university email address.
• Submit the requested items promptly (within 45 days) or risk losing consideration for some financial aid programs. ​ Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Ohio State will allow flexibility with verification due dates.  Please submit the information requested as soon as possible.
• If you are required to provide your taxes, you can update your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (see step 2 above for more information). If you are unable to use the Data Retrieval Tool, you must provide a signed copy of your IRS Tax Return Form 1040 and all schedules, or an official IRS Tax Return Transcript. For more information on requesting an IRS Tax Return Transcript visit irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript-FAQs.

How verification works

• Requested items needed for verification will be listed in the To Do List task of buckeyelink.osu.edu.
• All of your federal and need-based aid will be on hold until verification is complete.
• Once verification is complete, your To Do List will be updated.
• Ohio State may adjust your financial aid package based on the results that were determined through the verification process. ​​

Important Dates