For Terms of Enrollment Beginning Summer 2025 - Spring 2026

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

The 2025/2026 FAFSA will be required to determine financial aid eligibility beginning Summer Quarter or June Session of 2025.  The 2025/2026 FAFSA will require 2023 tax and income information.  Full details and information can be found at studentaid.gov.

You and your parent(s) if a dependent student, or you and your spouse if married, will need the U.S. Department of Education FSA User ID to sign in to Federal Aid systems and to complete the FAFSA application and Federal Loan processes. If you do not have an FSA User ID, you and your parent(s) or spouse may obtain ID's at studentaid.gov. If you have forgotten your FSA User ID, you can go to studentaid.gov and click on 'Forgot User ID' or 'Forgot Password'.

The 2025/2026 FAFSA Application is available to complete as of December of 2024.  Please submit the FAFSA no later than April 1, 2025 using 2023 Income Tax information. Filing early ensures the University of Northwestern Ohio is able to provide your eligibility information for the 2025-2026 academic year in a timely manner. You will need our school code to enter on your FAFSA which is 00486100.  If you are selected for verification (approximately 18% of all applicants will be), your financial aid offer will be delayed as additional forms and signed 2023 Federal Income Tax Returns and applicable schedules may be required from the student (and parent for dependent students or spouse if the student is married) for the verification process.  Your financial aid offer process will not begin if you are selected for verification until the financial aid office receives all requested documentation.  Please keep in mind that verification is a normal part of the financial aid process.  Our financial aid staff will work with you to answer any questions you may have.

Financial Aid Offer

Processing time for the FAFSA and/or verification is generally from 4 to 6 weeks. Student notification of eligibility, which is your Financial Aid Offer, will occur through the spring months for the 2025/2026 academic year. Your Financial Aid Offer notification will be sent to your UNOH email account.  You will be able to review your Financial Aid Status and your Offer on your MyUNOH portal at my.unoh.edu under your Financial Aid Dashboard.

Students whose families experience an involuntary loss of income in calendar year 2025 as compared to 2023 may wish to contact their Financial Aid Advisor for information on how to proceed.  You may qualify for a Special Circumstance appeal depending on the basis of your circumstances. You can learn more about Special and Unusual Circumstances on our Consumer Information page.

Student and Parent Loans

If you are a continuing student for the 2025/2026 academic year and used the Federal Direct Student Loan (Subsidized or Unsubsidized) in 2024-2025 or a prior academic year, you will not need to sign and complete a new Master Promissory Note or Entrance Counseling for the Federal Direct Student Loan; however, it is highly recommended that the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment be completed each year. This can be completed by logging in to studentaid.gov. 

If you are a new student for the 2025/2026 academic year and wish to use the Federal Direct Student loan you must complete the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov.   It is recommended that the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment be completed each year as well. This can be completed by logging in to studentaid.gov. 

The Federal Student Loan eligibility amount noted on your financial aid offer is the maximum eligibility that can be processed according to your grade level. If you wish to decline or request a lesser amount, complete a Loan Amendment Form and submit it to the financial aid office using your Document Upload feature on your Financial Aid Dashboard or fax it to 419-998-3191.  This form will be available to you on your Financial Aid Offer.

If the offered aid is not sufficient to cover your educational costs, parents of dependent students can apply for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan.  If approved, the parent borrower will need to complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note and it is recommended to complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment.   If denied, parents can either appeal the credit decision, obtain an endorser (co-signer), or if the denied credit status stands the student will be eligible for an additional Unsubsidized Federal Student Loan. Please be sure to apply no sooner than approximately 180 days prior to the student’s start date to both avoid multiple credit checks and/or applications to your credit history.

If the offered aid on your Financial Aid offer is not sufficient to cover your costs and your parent (if you are a dependent student) is not able or willing to apply for a PLUS loan you can pursue a Private Education Loan.  Independent students needing additional funds to cover educational costs can also pursue a Private Education Loan.

Detailed Loan information and application instructions for all loan types can be found on our Loan page.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available from external sources and from the University of Northwestern Ohio.  You can look into opportunities at your and/or your parent’s place of employment, organizations you may be a member of, or your church.  Applications typically are made available each fall with deadlines in winter and early spring.  Please review the different external and UNOH scholarship opportunities on our Scholarship Page.

Financial Aid Department Assistance

Our dedicated Financial Aid Staff is available to answer your questions and assist with processes.  Please let us know if you have any questions about the application process or financial aid programs. Each student is assigned a Financial Aid Advisor according to last name.

Last Name A – G     Lee Ann Timmerman           419-998-3114           ltimmerm@unoh.edu

Last Name H – N     Michael Mason                    419-998-3158           mamason@unoh.edu

Last Name O – Z     Autumn Rohr                       419-998-8880           aorohr@unoh.edu

You may also contact our office at (419) 998-3140 or email us at: financialaid@unoh.edu. We look forward to working with you as you achieve your educational goals.