University of Northwestern Ohio
Financial Aid FAQs
What is the Federal School Code for The University of Northwestern Ohio?
00486100
Do I have to reapply for financial aid each year?
Yes. All Federal & State financial aid grants, scholarships and loans require that you reapply for financial aid every year by completing the FAFSA.
When should I reapply for financial aid for next year?
The FAFSA application is typically available each Academic Year by October 1. For maximum consideration and to avoid late fees, please be sure to file the 2024/2025 FAFSA by April 1, 2024. Applicants will need their 2022 income tax information to complete this FAFSA.
The current 2023/2024 Academic Year requires the 2023/2024 FAFSA which requires your 2021 income tax information.
What Parent Information am I to report on the FAFSA?
For the 2024/2025 FAFSA please visit studentaid.gov to determine your required parent(s) of record (contributors) as a dependent student 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 may be 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 (but is not limited to): signed Federal Tax Returns, W-2 copies, and a Worksheet collecting household information and tax filing status.
Verification is a normal process that UNOH is required to complete on behalf of the Department of Education. Please know that our office is ready and willing to assist in any way we can. Please make sure to contact us at 419-998-3140 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.
What if my family's financial circumstances have changed?
Students whose families experience an involuntary loss of income in calendar year 2024 as compared to 2022 or experience an unusual circumstance may wish to contact a Financial Aid Advisor 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 of income is classified as a condition outside of a person's control. Circumstances such as retirement or termination from employment due to unfavorable conduct would not be considered. Examples of situations that can be considered are:
-
- Employment layoff, company downsizing, or reduced workforce hours
- Substantial medical expenses not covered by insurance that were paid
- Parent divorce or separation after the FAFSA is filed (for dependent students)
- Death of a parent after the FAFSA is filed (for dependent students)
- Loss of child support, alimony, or unemployment
- A one-time 401(k)/Pension withdrawal (for necessary or emergency purposes)
-
- 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, a student attestation/interview, etc. If you were selected for verification, this process must be complete before Professional Judgement can begin.
A Special Circumstance review may take three weeks from the time all required documentation is submitted. An Unusual Circumstance review will be finalized within 60 days of the student's enrollment if all required documentation is submitted within this timeframe. 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 if I am an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth?
If you selected on the 24/25 FAFSA that you are unaccompanied and homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless the Financial Aid Office will provide you with documentation to have completed. In order to confirm your status for Title IV eligibility purposes, documentation from one of the following sources will be required:
- A local educational agency homeless liaison (or designee), as designated by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)).
- The director (or designee) of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or other program serving individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
- The director (or designee) of a Federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate program (GEAR UP) grant.
- A financial aid administrator at another institution who documented the student’s circumstance in the same or a prior award year.
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/or all documentation requirements are met and completed, 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, 2024 for Undergraduates is 6.53%, and the fixed interest rate for Unsubsidized student loans disbursed after July 1, 2024 for Graduates is 8.08%.
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.
Financial Aid Contact
1441 N. Cable Rd.
Lima, Ohio 45805
Attn: Office of Financial Aid
- Phone: (419) 998-3140
- Fax: (419) 998-3191
- Email: financialaid@unoh.edu
Monday - Friday 7:30AM — 5:00PM *
* Hours are extended until 6:00 p.m. on the first day of each academic term.