It’s May and you’ve just reviewed your financial aid award package online. You appear to be missing some of the aid you had received last year. Why?

The most common reason that students are not considered for some aid programs is that they did not meet the priority deadline of March 1. The Ohio State University has many aid programs available, but most have limited funds. Because of this, Ohio State enforces a March 1 deadline that students must meet in order to be considered for these aid programs. Maximize your chances of receiving all of the aid you can by meeting the March 1 deadline!

How do you meet the deadline? The key is to PLAN!

After the New Year, begin your preparation for the next academic year:

• Locate your Federal PIN Number (or FAFSA PIN) or apply for a new PIN at http://www.pin.ed.gov).

• Gather your and your parents’ tax information (if you don’t have the forms completed yet, use the previous year’s information to estimate).

• Fill out the FAFSA form (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) completely and be sure you and your parents sign the form by Ohio State’s priority deadline of March 1. Apply early if you can.

• Complete the scholarship application (http://sfa.osu.edu) by the March 1 deadline. Again, apply early if possible.

• Review your Student Financial Aid Status (http://sfa.osu.edu) page for receipt of FAFSA, and then starting in March, review your status page to see if any documents are needed. If so, turn these in by the due date indicated. Meeting your verification deadline also insures you will be considered for all aid programs available.

• Once you have been awarded, be sure to use your aid wisely. If you are awarded grants and scholarships, be aware of the quarters of eligibility and what the expectations (GPA or full-time enrollment) are for the award. If you have any type of student loan please ABC:

Always Borrow Conservatively

Borrow only what you need to pay your tuition and/or living expenses.

• Consider wisely the classes you take and try to always complete the classes for which you register. There are certain consequences for adding and dropping classes after the first day of the quarter.

REMEMBER: Be proactive and help yourself by meeting the March 1 deadline. It can only help your financial award! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our office. Your friendly financial aid counselor is waiting to help you!