Graduate Funding and Financial Assistance

Financial assistance falls within three major categories - Graduate Appointments, Fellowships, and federal loans. Graduate Appointments and Fellowships are merit awards, loans are based on financial need. Financial aid is generally available only to students admitted to a degree-seeking program. Campus-based employment is also available based on hiring unit budgets and needs.

1. Graduate Appointments & Fellowships
   1. Eligibility
   2. Application Procedure
   3. Types of Assistantships
   4. Graduate Recruitment Scholarship/Stipend
   5. Fellowships & Traineeships
   6. Tuition Scholarships
   7. Requirements to Maintain a Graduate Appointment
   8. Requirements for Awarding Teaching Assistantship
   9. Graduate Appointments & Federal Financial Aid Eligibility
2. Federal Direct Student Loans
   1. Application and Eligibility Requirements
   2. Cost of Attendance
   3. Notification of Aid Offers
   4. Award Disbursements
   5. Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
   6. Official and Unofficial Withdrawal Policy for Title IV Recipients
   7. Short Term Loans
   8. Student Employment
   9. Financial Aid Availability

Many degree-seeking graduate students studying at Ohio University receive full or partial graduate, research, or teaching assistantships. Students who have been admitted to a master or a doctoral degree are selected for these appointments on the basis of merit.

Graduate appointments normally become effective the first day of each term. Individual schools or departments may, at their discretion, request that newly appointed assistants report for orientation up to a week prior to the beginning of the semester. Ending dates of an appointment vary by department and assigned duties, but are usually at the conclusion of the semester.

Ohio University is a signatory to the Council of Graduate School’s Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants. Full text of the resolution can be found at http://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution.

No person may hold simultaneous appointment as an Ohio University employee and a graduate assistant.

Eligibility

To receive a Graduate Appointment or Fellowship, you must:

1. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree-seeking program.
2. Be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by Ohio University.
3. Not have exceeded the number of terms of eligibility for an appointment.
4. Be free of any academic conditional status.
5. Demonstrate English language proficiency as described in the English Language Proficiency Requirements of the Application and Admissions section of this catalog.
6. If an appointment carries any stipend for work component, you must also be eligible for employment per U.S. employment law.

Application Procedure

Students seeking funding from their academic program should indicate their interest by completing the appropriate section on the degree-seeking application. Some programs require a supplemental application. Review the program information provided in this catalog.

Official English proficiency test scores must be received by the Graduate College before a Graduate Appointment can be confirmed.

Application processes for fellowships vary by fellowship program.

Assistantships

Students who have assistantships generally fulfill academic responsibilities and serve as prescribed by the school, department, or administrative office. There are three types of assistantships:

Teaching Assistantships (TA) This designation is used for students receiving stipend support when 50% or more of the duties are directly related to the teaching mission of the department or school. All Teaching Assistants must meet Oral English Proficiency Requirements for Teaching Assistants as outlined in the Application and Admissions section of this catalog. 

Graduate Assistantships (GA) This designation is used for students receiving stipend support with 50% or more of the duties are primarily administrative in character and/or their duties are not directly related to either the instructional or research mission of the university, but to professional training.  

Research Assistantships (RA) This designation is used for students receiving stipend support when 50% or more of their duties are directly related to research or creative activities.

The assistantship provides a stipend for services as prescribed by the individual school or department and requires a minimum academic course load of 12 graduate credits a semester for fall and spring, and nine graduate credits for summer in any term covered by the assistantship*. Stipend amounts vary across academic programs and departments. The assistantship usually includes a tuition scholarship for the length of the graduate appointment. Contact the individual school, academic department, or administrative office for details on assistantships and tuition scholarships.

*Students who have exceeded the total number of terms of tuition scholarship eligibility may retain a stipend appointment and register for a minimum of one graduate credit hour.

Graduate Recruitment Scholarship/Stipend

Some schools or academic departments offer an alternative form of assistance, the Graduate Recruitment Scholarship/Stipend (GRS). The GRS consists of a partial tuition scholarship and a stipend of $975 per semester. A GRS appointment requires five hours of service per week each semester of the appointment. Together, the scholarship and the stipend cover most of the tuition costs for a semester.

Traineeships and Fellowships

The Ohio University Graduate College funds five Named Fellowships:

• John Cady Graduate Fellowship,
• Donald Clippinger Graduate Fellowship
• Claude Kantner Graduate Fellowship
• Anthony Trisolini Graduate Fellowship
• Graduate College Fellowship

The fellowships are awarded through a competitive nomination basis. Additional information about the Named Fellowships may be found on the Graduate College Web site: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/current-students/gc-named-fellowships.

Tuition Scholarships

Full or partial tuition scholarships are available in conjunction with a graduate appointment or fellowship. These are granted on a competitive basis to incoming graduate students who have demonstrated academic merit, or to continuing graduate students who have maintained at least a 3.0 graduate GPA. Students receiving a tuition scholarship also receive a subsidy toward the general fee. Payment of the remainder of the general fee is the student’s responsibility. At the discretion of the academic college, tuition scholarships for students continuing on an assistantship may be available for the summer semester.

The tuition scholarship will be discontinued if your academic grade point average as a graduate student at Ohio University falls below a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Schools or departments may require a higher average. Tuition scholarships are not available to students who have exceeded the maximum number of funded terms.

Requirements to Maintain a Graduate Appointment

Requirements for maintaining a Graduate Appointment are listed in Graduate Appointment Information and Policies, found on the Graduate College website at https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/current-students/appointments-details.

Students holding a Graduate Appointment or GRS are limited to a maximum of 20 hours work hours per week. Graduate Assistants may not accept other full-time employment, either within or outside of the University.

Graduate Appointments and Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

Recipients of graduate awards in the form of assistantships (Graduate, Research, Teaching), tuition scholarships, and fellowships will be reported to the financial aid office by the Graduate College. All tuition scholarships will be included as part of the aid package when calculating federal need-based aid, if you are eligible. If you receive a loan for summer semester and later receive a graduate scholarship, you may be considered over-awarded according to federal guidelines. To avoid an over-award, notify the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships of all additional resources (current and estimated, when possible).

Student loans play a significant role in financing postsecondary education. The Federal Direct Loan Program allows students to borrow directly from the federal government through Ohio University. These educational loans have favorable terms and conditions. Students should view borrowing as an investment in their futures. However, loans represent debts that must be repaid and failure to repay will result in severe penalties.

Application and Eligibility Requirements

To apply for Federal Student Loans, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://studentaid.gov/fafsa-app/ROLES beginning October 1 each year prior to the year you plan to attend. Graduate student aid offers are available in April.

To receive federal aid you must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen (U.S. national or permanent resident) or provide documentation of other eligible noncitizen status.
2. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree–seeking program or in a certificate specifically designated as financial aid-eligible. Teacher certification programs or preparatory coursework cases should be discussed with a financial aid administrator.
3. Be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by Ohio University and the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. (See Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards.)
4. Not be in default on a Federal Perkins Loan, a Federal Family Educational Loan (FFEL), Federal Direct Student Loan, or Federal Supplemental Loan for Undergraduate Students (SLS), from any school, agency, or lender, or owe a repayment on any Title IV funds. (Parents also must not be in default if applying for a PLUS loan.)

Private loans are an option for students who do not qualify for Federal Student Loans or who may wish to borrow more than the amount available in a Federal Student Loan. For more information, please visit https://www.ohio.edu/financial-aid/types/loans/private-loans.

Cost of Attendance

Each year, the Ohio University Board of Trustees determines the fixed costs (tuition and fees, non-resident surcharge, and residence hall and meal plan rates). Variable indirect costs (books and supplies, travel, and personal and miscellaneous) are estimated by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Estimates are based on the Consumer Price Index and periodic surveys. The total fixed and variable costs make up your total Cost of Attendance (Budget) for the academic year. Final annual budgets are available from the Office Student Financial Aid after July 1 of each award year.

Notification of Financial Aid Offers

After the FAFSA results and other requested documents have been processed, an aid offer is provided to all eligible applicants. The aid offer can be a combination of Graduate Appointments/Fellowships and Federal Student Loans.

Students awarded financial aid will receive notification from the Office of Student Financial Aid beginning in late March. Financial aid information is available online in your OHIO Student Center. If you are adjusting or declining any of the aid, you can do so through your My OHIO Student Center. All aid is subject to revision due to changes in student eligibility, additional student resources, clerical errors, failure to provide requested documents, or other circumstances.

Aid Disbursements

Federal aid recipients must be officially enrolled in a degree–seeking program to receive any type of financial assistance. All requested documents (e.g., tax transcripts and W–2 forms) used in verifying the data provided on the FAFSA must be received before financial aid can be disbursed. Disbursement dates and procedures will vary depending on the type of financial aid offered. In general, financial aid will be disbursed to your account each semester and any financial aid exceeding your charges will be refunded to you. For direct deposits, refunds from your student account are processed multiple times each week, beginning the first day of classes. For paper checks, refunds from your student account are mailed on Fridays, once classes have begun.

Federal Work–Study is not credited to your account. You will be paid by check or direct deposit every two weeks based on the hours you work.

Please note the payment due dates on the account balance notifications from the Office of the Bursar. If you will be away from campus in a co–op or education abroad program, contact our office well in advance to discuss your eligibility and arrange for disbursement of your financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Federal regulations require that all financial aid applicants meet Ohio University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. For graduate students, these requirements include:

(1) successful completion of 67% of the courses attempted
(2) degree completion within 90 semester hours for a Master’s degree
(3) minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

Graduate transfer hours accepted by Ohio University do count toward the student’s maximum timeframe for degree completion of 90 semester hours. Students who withdraw from a course after the end of the add/drop period will negatively impact their completion percentage. The end of the add/drop period for a regular semester course is the 2nd Friday of the semester. Courses with different lengths have varying add/drop dates. Repeated courses are counted each time they are taken when calculating completion percentage. For example, if a student takes Math 1000 twice and it is a five credit hour course, 10 credit hours will be counted as attempted. If the student fails the course the first time and receives a C the second time, five credit hours are counted as earned. To review the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, please visit https://www.ohio.edu/financialaid/applications-deadlines/sap/upload/Satisfactory-Academic-Progress-policy.pdf.

Official and Unofficial Withdrawal Policy for Title IV Recipients

You are a Title IV financial aid recipient if you receive a Federal Direct Student Loan (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or PLUS). If you receive Title IV financial aid and withdraw from Ohio University, the amount of aid earned and unearned will be calculated using the Federal Return of Title IV Funds policy. This policy is a formula that measures the percentage of days enrolled during a semester. The percentage is determined by dividing the number of days enrolled by the number of calendar days in the semester, including weekends and holidays. Based on this percentage, Title IV financial aid will be prorated to reflect the amount of aid that was earned during the period of enrollment. The amount of aid that is earned will remain on your student account and the amount of aid that is unearned will be returned to the appropriate program. Once the attendance percentage reaches 60 percent, all Title IV aid is considered to be earned.

Students who stop attending the University and do not officially withdraw are considered to be an unofficial withdrawal and are subject to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds policy. The date of withdrawal will be the latest date based on a student’s attendance at an academically related event. If the last date of attendance is not known, the midpoint of the semester will be used as the withdrawal date. If you never attended all of the courses you have registered for, you are considered to be an official withdrawal. It is determined you have not earned any financial aid. Therefore, all aid will be returned to the appropriate program.

If it is determined that Title IV funds need to be returned, by Federal Law they will be returned in the following order: Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Subsidized Direct Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, TEACH Grant, and other Title IV assistance.

A student is not eligible for a refund until all Federal Title IV programs and scholarships are reimbursed as required and all outstanding balances with the University have been cleared.

For more information, please visit https://www.ohio.edu/bursar/withdraw.

Student Employment options are available on campus to provide job opportunity information for all students. To view available jobs, please visit https://www.ohio.edu/financial-aid/types/overview.

Financial Aid Availability

Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
Ohio University
Chubb Hall 020
Athens, OH 45701–2979
Telephone: 740.593.4141 (M–F 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Fax: 740.593.4140
financial.aid@ohio.edu
https://www.ohio.edu/financial-aid

If you have specific questions in relation to your federal student loan, please feel free to visit the Student Financial Aid website at https://www.ohio.edu/financial-aid or you may email or call the office. You may also visit the office. For complex questions, you may need to schedule an appointment with your assigned financial aid administrator. Assignments are made alphabetically by your last name. Emergencies or schedule conflicts may be accommodated, as needed.

Federal regulations and institutional policies are subject to change without prior notice. The Office of Student Financial Aid will attempt to keep you updated through various media on campus, such as our website, student email, and/or written notices. To avoid costly delays, it is vital that you update your home and mailing addresses with the Office of the University Registrar by accessing My OHIO Student Center  and regularly access your University email account.