What is the Federal School Code for The University of Northwestern Ohio?

00486100

Do I have to reapply for financial aid each year?

Yes you should. All Federal & State financial aid grants, scholarships and loans require that you reapply for financial aid every year by completing the FAFSA.

I am a current/returning student, how do I apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?

All current/returning students should reapply for the FAFSA online at studentaid.gov.  If you completed the FAFSA for your previous academic year, you will be able to sign in as a returning user and complete a Renewal FAFSA.

When should I reapply for financial aid for next year?

For the 2023/2024 Academic Year year, you can submit your FAFSA as early as October 1st, 2022. For maximum consideration and to avoid late fees, please be sure to file by April 1, 2023.  Applicants will need their 2021 income tax information to complete this FAFSA. 

The current 2022/2023 Academic Year requires the 2022/2023 FAFSA which requires your 2020 income tax information.  

What Parent Information am I to report on the FAFSA?

For the 2023/2024 FAFSA please visit https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info to determine your required parent(s) of record for your FAFSA Application.

I do not remember my FSA user ID. How do I retrieve it?

In order to retrieve your FSA User ID go to the FSA User ID Portal. Click on edit my FSA ID, and you can begin your retrieval process.

What is verification?

When the Department of Education receives a FAFSA application, the application can be selected for a process called Verification.  Approximately 18% of student applicants are randomly selected for verification by the Department of Education.  This process ensures that students are receiving correct financial aid offers and prevents students from having to pay back or return financial aid as the result of an incorrect offer.

Schools receive notification of a selection once the FAFSA is received.  The school is required to request documentation from the student for the verification process.  Once all documentation is received, data is compared with the FAFSA, and corrections are required if discrepancies are found.  Examples of required documentation are: Federal Tax Return Transcripts (must be ordered from the IRS), W-2 copies, Worksheets collecting household information and untaxed income, Child Support statements, etc.

Verification is a normal process that UNOH is required to complete on behalf of the Department of Education, and in some cases, it may be challenging to complete.  Please know that our office is ready and willing to assist in any way we can.  Please make sure to contact us at 419-998-8890 or email financialaid@unoh.edu with any questions or concerns.

How many credit hours do I need to take to receive aid?

• To receive aid as a full-time student in the College of Business, Occupational Professions, and Health Professions you must take 12 credit hours per term.  Part-time enrollment requires 6 credit hours minimum.
• To receive aid as a full-time student in the College of Applied Technologies you must take 6 credit hours per term. Part-time enrollment requires 3 credit hours minimum.

Please note that the aid you qualify for as a part-time student may be significantly less than that of full-time.

What if my family's financial circumstances have changed?

Students whose families experience an involuntary loss of income in calendar year 2022 as compared to 2021 or experience an unusual circumstance may wish to contact a Financial Aid Officer for information on how to proceed with a Professional Judgement (PJ) appeal. PJ cases are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are housed under two different types:

• Special Circumstances: Involuntary loss if income is classified as a condition outside of person's control. For example, lay-offs, company downsizing or reduced workforce hours could be considered. Circumstances such as retirement or termination from employment due to unfavorable conduct would not be considered. Other considerations could be parent divorce or excessive medical expenses paid and not covered by insurance.
• Unusual Circumstances: Conditions for a dependency override due to human trafficking, parental abandonment, parental abuse, or parent imprisonment.

If you feel eligibility may be impacted based on a circumstance please contact our office. Our office will collect information from you to determine if your situation could impact eligibility. If so, documentation will be collected to conduct the review. The type of documentation requested will be dependent on the type of appeal submitted, but could include letters from employers, most recent pay stubs, tax forms, court documentation, police records, etc. If you were selected for verification, this process must be complete before Professional Judgement can begin.

A Professional Judgement review may take three weeks from the time all required documentation is submitted. If a Professional Judgement case is approved, and it affects a student's financial aid offer, the Financial Aid office will revise the student offer in accordance with Federal Aid rules. The revised offer notification will be sent to the student's UNOH email account, directing the student to my.unoh.edu to view their offer under their Financial Aid Dashboard.

What scholarships are available?

The University of Northwestern Ohio offers many UNOH sponsored scholarship opportunities. In addition, there are many outside scholarship opportunities available.  For outside scholarships, please note that Fall and Winter are peak scholarship application processing times, as deadlines are typically in late Winter or early Spring.  For a list of outside scholarship options and opportunities, please click here. 

How do I see my Financial Aid offer and calculate my remaining cost?

Once you complete your FAFSA and no other information is required, you will receive a notification that your offer has been provided to you.  You will receive an email to your UNOH email account and you will receive a postcard.  This will direct you to your Financial Aid Dashboard at my.unoh.edu where you can access your Financial Aid Offer. 

The Financial Aid Offer will provide you information pertaining to your offered aid eligibility each term and for the Academic Year.  You will notice a link to aid you in understating if you have sufficient aid called “Calculate Essential Costs”.  You can then determine if you need to borrow any additional loans or seek alternative funding.

What do I need for my Federal Direct Student Loan?

The Federal Direct Student Loan is available for all students who complete a FAFSA.  Eligibility amounts are as follows:

 

Year	Dependent Students (except students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)	Independent Students (and dependent undergraduate students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)
First-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$5,500—No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$9,500—No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Second-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$6,500—No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$10,500—No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Third-Year and Beyond  Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$7,500—No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$12,500—No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Graduate or Professional Students Annual Loan Limit	Not Applicable (all graduate and professional students are considered independent)	$20,500 (unsubsidized only)
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Aggregate Loan Limit	$31,000—No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$57,500 for undergraduates—No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students.

Currently, the fixed interest rate for Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans disbursed after July 1, 2023 for Undergraduates is 5.50%, and the fixed interest rate for Unsubsidized student loans disbursed after July 1, 2023 for Graduates is 7.05%.

If you wish to use the Federal Direct Student Loan, you must go to studentaid.gov and complete Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note.  Instructions are available here.

WHAT OTHER LOAN OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE BESIDES THE FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOAN?

If grants, scholarships, Federal Direct Student Loans, or other eligible funding is not sufficient to cover all of your educational costs or needs, you can apply for additional loans.  There are two options:  The Federal Direct PLUS Loan or Private Education Loans.  Loan application instructions are available below.

Federal PLUS Loan Instructions

Private Loan Instructions