- How Eligibility for Student Financial Aid is Calculated
- Terms and Conditions of the Financial Aid Package
- Changes to the Financial Aid Package
- Payment of Financial Aid
- Book Vouchers
Your Financial Aid Package
The Office of Financial Aid at Owens acts as a clearinghouse for many aid programs.
If you are eligible, and aid funds are available, you may receive a package composed of funds from different sources. These funds are combined with your resources to address your financial need. The financial assistance offered to you is the estimated financial aid package for the academic year.
Eligibility for need-based aid is based on the estimated cost of attending Owens Community College, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) / Student Aid Index (SAI) based on the information that was provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and your enrollment status. The types and amounts of financial aid in your package also are limited by regulatory maximums, your academic class status (freshman or sophomore), grade point average, fund availability and your enrollment status (full- or part-time).
Your financial aid awards will be posted to your Owens Ozone account. You should review all the information on your account and on the financial aid web site carefully. The web site contains important details about your financial aid package and your responsibilities as an aid recipient.
You are responsible for the information provided to you. You will be notified if you must respond to your award notice. If you receive additional financial aid assistance during the academic year, a new award notice will be sent by email to your Owens email account.
College Financing Plan
The College Financing Plan summarizes your financial aid so that you may compare financial aid awards among various colleges and universities. You may view the College Financing Plan in Ozone. Locate the Financial Aid Summary card, verify that you are viewing the desired aid year, click the View Financial Aid Details link, and click on College Financing Plan. If you do not have an Ozone account, you may obtain one by completing an admissions application.
How Eligibility for Student Financial Aid is Calculated
Estimated Cost of Attendance
Financial aid is provided to you to pay for educational costs. While actual costs will vary from student to student, Owens Community College determines your eligibility using average cost figures according to your status as a dependent or independent student.
Cost of Attendance Components
The cost of attendance includes the following.
| Direct costs (billed by the college) |
|---|
| Tuition and fees: Instructional, general, and other fees which are charged by the college. If you are assessed non-resident fees, this cost will be included. |
| Costs which may be direct or indirect costs |
|---|
| Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment: If you choose to purchase books and supplies using a book voucher, these will be charged by the college. |
| Computer purchase expenses: An allowance for expenses incurred to rent or buy a personal computer. See Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
| Study abroad expenses |
| Indirect costs (not billed by the college – these are other expenses related to attending college) |
|---|
| Federal student loan fees: An allowance for the average cost of the origination fee for Federal Direct Loans. |
| Transportation: An allowance for the average cost of transportation between your home and school. If you are traveling to a clinical (or similar) location and your actual costs exceed the standard amount, see Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses |
| Living expenses: Food, housing, and other expenses |
| Professional licensure, certification, or first professional credential costs: An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential. This only applies to programs which prepare you for a profession that requires such a qualification. If you are enrolled in a program which includes a licensure or certification cost, the allowance will automatically be included once you have reached a certain point in your program. If you are ready to complete your certification and it is not already included in your Cost of Attendance, or to request an adjustment to retake a certification test, see Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
| Cooperative education costs: Reasonable costs associated with a work experience under a cooperative education program. See Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
| Dependent care costs: An allowance for dependent care while you are in class, studying, performing field work or internships, or commuting. See Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
| Disability-related expenses: An allowance for expenses associated with your disability which are not funded by other agencies. See Adjustments to Cost of Attendance below. |
Cost of Attendance Examples
The chart below lists cost examples for full-time enrollment in Fall and Spring semesters for an Ohio resident. These figures are averages and your actual cost may be different. If you are enrolled less than full-time or taking classes for only part of the semester, your cost of attendance will be updated after the freeze date has been reached.
The cost of attendance is not the amount owed to Owens.
| 2023-2024
(Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) |
Independent | Dependent living with parents | Dependent living off-campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $5,774 | $5,774 | $5,774 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,810 | $1,810 | $1,810 |
| Transportation | $2,912 | $2,912 | $2,912 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $1,504 | $1,504 | $1,504 |
| Living Expenses | $5,920 | $2,912 | $5,920 |
| Total* | $17,920 | $14,912 | $17,920 |
| 2024-2025
(Fall 2024 and Spring 2025) |
Independent | Dependent living with parents | Dependent living off-campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $5,894 | $5,894 | $5,894 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,880 | $1,880 | $1,880 |
| Transportation | $3,040 | $3,040 | $3,040 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $1,568 | $1,568 | $1,568 |
| Living Expenses | $6,272 | $2,912 | $6,272 |
| Total* | $18,654 | $15,294 | $18,654 |
*In addition to these costs, you may incur other expenses which vary depending on your major and other factors. Please refer to the Cost of Attendance Components section above for a list of possible expenses.
Course materials costs
| Program | Estimated cost per semester (for full-time enrollment) |
|---|---|
| AA General Concentration (Owens Code: AGEN) | $239 |
| Accounting Technology (Owens Code: ACCT) | 281 |
| Administrative Office Coor Maj (Owens Code: AOCM) | 309 |
| Alt Energy-Photovoltaic (Owens Code: AEPT) | 335 |
| American Sign Lang Cert (Owens Code: ZASL) | 136 |
| Animation (Owens Code: ANIM) | 280 |
| Animation Certificate (Owens Code: ZANM) | 372 |
| Applied Engineering Technology (Owens Code: APET) | 335 |
| AS General Concentration (Owens Code: SGEN) | 249 |
| ASL Interpreter Prep Program (Owens Code: ASLI) | 130 |
| Assoc Individualized Studies (Owens Code: AIND) | 347 |
| Associate of Tech Studies-A (Owens Code: ATSA) | 362 |
| Associate of Tech Studies-B (Owens Code: ATSB) | 362 |
| Associate of Technical St (Owens Code: ATSD) | 362 |
| ATS Accounting Technology (Owens Code: 1ACC) | 362 |
| ATS Admin Office Coor Majr (Owens Code: 1AOC) | 362 |
| ATS Alt Energy-Photovoltaic (Owens Code: 1AEP) | 362 |
| ATS Applied Engineering Tech (Owens Code: 1APE) | 362 |
| ATS Architectural Eng Tech (Owens Code: 1ARE) | 362 |
| ATS Auto Service Mgmt (Owens Code: 1ASM) | 362 |
| ATS Automotive Technology (Owens Code: 1AUT) | 362 |
| ATS Business Management Tech (Owens Code: 1BUM) | 362 |
| ATS CAD Technology (Owens Code: 1CAD) | 362 |
| ATS Commercial Photo Tech (Owens Code: 1COP) | 362 |
| ATS Computer Programming Tech (Owens Code: 1CPT) | 362 |
| ATS Computer Science Major (Owens Code: 1CSC) | 362 |
| ATS Criminal Justice Tech (Owens Code: 1CJS) | 362 |
| ATS Culinary Arts Program (Owens Code: 1CAP) | 362 |
| ATS Diesel Technology (Owens Code: 1DSL) | 362 |
| ATS Electrical/Electronics Tec (Owens Code: 1EET) | 362 |
| ATS Emergency Services Tech (Owens Code: 1EMS) | 362 |
| ATS Entrepreneurship Major (Owens Code: 1ESH) | 362 |
| ATS Hospitality Management (Owens Code: 1HOS) | 362 |
| ATS Information Systems (Owens Code: 1INF) | 362 |
| ATS Information Systems (Owens Code: 1SYS) | 362 |
| ATS Logistics/Supply Chain (Owens Code: 1LGS) | 362 |
| ATS Marketing & Sales Tech (Owens Code: 1MKT) | 362 |
| ATS Medical Office Support Mjr (Owens Code: 1MDO) | 362 |
| ATS Music Business Tech (Owens Code: 1MUB) | 362 |
| ATS Network & Info Sys Sup (Owens Code: 1NIS) | 362 |
| ATS Office Administration Tech (Owens Code: 1OAD) | 362 |
| ATS Prof Law Enforce Officer (Owens Code: 1PLE) | 362 |
| ATS Skilled Trades Build Maint (Owens Code: 1STB) | 362 |
| ATS Skilled Trades Construct (Owens Code: 1SKC) | 362 |
| ATS Skilled Trades Electrical (Owens Code: 1SKE) | 362 |
| ATS Skilled Trades Mechanical (Owens Code: 1SKM) | 362 |
| ATS Visual Comm Tech (Owens Code: 1VCM) | 362 |
| ATS Welding (Owens Code: 1WLD) | 362 |
| ATS Wide-Area Networking Tech (Owens Code: 1WAN) | 362 |
| Auto Service Certificate 1 (Owens Code: ZSER) | 490 |
| Auto Service Excel Prog (Owens Code: ASEP) | 408 |
| Automotive Technology (Owens Code: AUTO) | 408 |
| Avionics Major (Owens Code: AVMJ) | 255 |
| Baking & Pastry Cert-1 (Owens Code: ZBPD) | 665 |
| Biology Concentration (Owens Code: BIOL) | 200 |
| Biomedical Electronics Maj (Owens Code: BIOM) | 231 |
| Bookkeeping Certificate (Owens Code: ZBKC) | 317 |
| Broadcast Media Technology (Owens Code: BRMT) | 296 |
| Building Maintenance Cert 1 (Owens Code: ZBLD) | 183 |
| Business Management Technology (Owens Code: BUMT) | 279 |
| Business Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: BUTP) | 262 |
| CAD Certificate (Owens Code: ZCDC) | 196 |
| CAD Technology (Owens Code: CADT) | 303 |
| Caterpillar Program (Owens Code: CATP) | 434 |
| Certified Personal Train Cert (Owens Code: ZCPT) | 430 |
| Chemistry Concentration (Owens Code: CHMC) | 176 |
| CISCO Academy Certificate (Owens Code: ZCCO) | 761 |
| Commercial Art Certificate (Owens Code: ZCAR) | 290 |
| Commercial Art Conc (Owens Code: CARC) | 263 |
| Commercial Art Technology (Owens Code: CART) | 247 |
| Commercial Photography Major (Owens Code: COPM) | 312 |
| Commercial Photography Techn (Owens Code: COPH) | 259 |
| Communication Studies Transfer (Owens Code: CMST) | 241 |
| Communication Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: CMTP) | 198 |
| Community & Family Services (Owens Code: CFSC) | 203 |
| Computed Tomography Cert (Owens Code: ZCTC) | 270 |
| Computer Prog Dev I Cert (Owens Code: ZCDI) | 500 |
| Computer Prog Dev II Cert (Owens Code: ZCDV) | 701 |
| Computer Programming Tech (Owens Code: CPPT) | 488 |
| Computer Science Major (Owens Code: CSCI) | 319 |
| Computer Support Tech Cert (Owens Code: ZCSC) | 1365 |
| CPA Qualifying Certificate (Owens Code: ZCPA) | 228 |
| Craft Beverage Certificate (Owens Code: ZCBC) | 237 |
| Criminal Justice Technology (Owens Code: CJST) | 117 |
| Criminal Justice Trans Path (Owens Code: CJPP) | 190 |
| Culinary Arts Cert1 (Owens Code: ZCAB) | 808 |
| Culinary Arts Program (Owens Code: CAPP) | 574 |
| Dana Mechatronics Control Cer (Owens Code: ZDMC) | 237 |
| Dana Mechatronics Eng Cert (Owens Code: ZDME) | 182 |
| Dana Mechatronics Maint Cert (Owens Code: ZDMM) | 153 |
| Dental Assisting Certificate (Owens Code: ZDAC) | 298 |
| Dental Hygiene Program (Owens Code: DHYP) | 1094 |
| Dental Office Coord Cert (Owens Code: ZDOC) | 184 |
| Dental Office Coordinator (Owens Code: DOCD) | 184 |
| Diagnostic Med Sonography (Owens Code: SONO) | 725 |
| Diesel Service Cert 1 (Owens Code: ZDSL) | 566 |
| Diesel Technology (Owens Code: DSLT) | 346 |
| Dietary Manager Cert (Owens Code: ZCDM) | 442 |
| Early Childhood Education Tech (Owens Code: ECET) | 231 |
| Economics Concentration (Owens Code: ECOC) | 248 |
| Economics Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: ECTP) | 200 |
| Education Transfer Conc (Owens Code: EDTC) | 262 |
| Electrical Certificate 1 (Owens Code: ZECT) | 199 |
| Electrical/Electronics Tech (Owens Code: EETT) | 224 |
| Emergency Services Technology (Owens Code: EMST) | 332 |
| EMT-Paramedic Certificate (Owens Code: ZPAR) | 582 |
| Engineering Concentration (Owens Code: EGRC) | 170 |
| English Literature Transfer (Owens Code: ENLT) | 263 |
| Entrepreneurship Certificate (Owens Code: ZENT) | 239 |
| Entrepreneurship Major (Owens Code: ESHP) | 244 |
| Environmental Science Conc (Owens Code: ENST) | 227 |
| Event Planning Certificate (Owens Code: ZEVP) | 582 |
| Ex Sci Personal Train Cert (Owens Code: ZEPT) | 563 |
| Exercise Science Concentration (Owens Code: EXSC) | 286 |
| Fine Art Concentration (Owens Code: FINA) | 211 |
| General Sonography Cert (Owens Code: ZGSC) | 693 |
| Geography Concentration (Owens Code: GEOC) | 270 |
| Geography Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: GETP) | 222 |
| Graphic Design Certificate (Owens Code: ZGDC) | 348 |
| Health Information Mgt Systems (Owens Code: HINF) | 399 |
| History Concentration (Owens Code: HISC) | 228 |
| History Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: HSTP) | 186 |
| Hospitality Management Program (Owens Code: HOSP) | 354 |
| HVAC Certificate 1 (Owens Code: ZVCC) | 254 |
| Industrial Mechanic Cert 1 (Owens Code: ZINM) | 303 |
| Information Systems (Owens Code: INFO) | 567 |
| Insurance Certificate (Owens Code: ZINS) | 332 |
| Insurance Studies (Owens Code: INSS) | 234 |
| John Deere Tech Major (Owens Code: JDEM) | 437 |
| Land & Turfgrass Certificate (Owens Code: ZLND) | 84 |
| Landscape & Turfgrass Mgt Prog (Owens Code: LTMP) | 141 |
| Legal Assistant Technology (Owens Code: LAST) | 277 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse Cert (Owens Code: LPNP) | 160 |
| Literature Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: LTTP) | 196 |
| Logistics/Supply Chain Cert (Owens Code: ZLSC) | 329 |
| Logistics/Supply Chain Major (Owens Code: LGSC) | 260 |
| Machining Certificate 1 (Owens Code: ZMCC) | 496 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tec (Owens Code: MRIT) | 434 |
| Management Certificate (Owens Code: ZMGT) | 401 |
| Manufacturing Foundations Cert (Owens Code: ZMFC) | 240 |
| Marketing and Sales Tech (Owens Code: MKTS) | 259 |
| Mathematics Concentration (Owens Code: MATH) | 178 |
| Media Influencer Certificate (Owens Code: ZMIC) | 276 |
| Medical Assisting Certificate (Owens Code: ZMDA) | 414 |
| Medical Assisting Program (Owens Code: MDAP) | 290 |
| Medical Coding Certificate (Owens Code: ZMED) | 307 |
| Medical Office Support Cert (Owens Code: ZMOS) | 318 |
| Medical Office Support Major (Owens Code: MDOF) | 222 |
| Music Business Technology (Owens Code: MUBT) | 224 |
| Music Educ/Performance Conc (Owens Code: MEPC) | 186 |
| Network Admin Certificate (Owens Code: ZNEC) | 885 |
| Network Tech I Certificate (Owens Code: ZNTI) | 1031 |
| Network Tech II Certificate (Owens Code: ZNII) | 706 |
| Networking & Info Sys Support (Owens Code: NIST) | 625 |
| Nutrition Concentration (Owens Code: NTRC) | 237 |
| Occupational Therapy Assist (Owens Code: OTAP) | 173 |
| Office Administration Tech (Owens Code: OADT) | 239 |
| Office Support Certificate (Owens Code: ZOFF) | 367 |
| Paralegal Transfer Concen (Owens Code: PARA) | 273 |
| Payroll Certificate (Owens Code: ZPAY) | 364 |
| Philosophy Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: PHTP) | 200 |
| Photography Certificate (Owens Code: ZPHO) | 403 |
| Photography Conc (Owens Code: PHOC) | 262 |
| Physical Therapist Assist (Owens Code: PTAP) | 223 |
| Pipefitting/Plumbing Cert 1 (Owens Code: ZPPC) | 218 |
| Political Science Conc (Owens Code: PLSC) | 249 |
| Political Science Transfer Pth (Owens Code: POTP) | 201 |
| Powerskills Certificate (Owens Code: ZPSC) | 180 |
| Pre-Dental Hygiene Conc (Owens Code: PDHT) | 221 |
| Pre-Diagnostic Med Sonography (Owens Code: PDMS) | 220 |
| Pre-Health Info Concentration (Owens Code: PHIT) | 216 |
| Pre-Law Concentration (Owens Code: PLWC) | 181 |
| Pre-LPN to RN Concentration (Owens Code: PLRT) | 221 |
| Pre-Magnetic Resonance Conc (Owens Code: PMAG) | 221 |
| Pre-Medical Assisting Conc (Owens Code: PMAT) | 246 |
| Pre-Nursing Concentration (Owens Code: PNTC) | 221 |
| Pre-Occupational Therapy Conc (Owens Code: POTT) | 224 |
| Pre-Paramedic to RN Conc (Owens Code: PPRT) | 271 |
| Pre-Physical Therapist Conc (Owens Code: PPTT) | 221 |
| Pre-Radiologic Technology Conc (Owens Code: PRAG) | 222 |
| Pre-Surgical Concentration (Owens Code: PSTC) | 221 |
| Pre-Vascular Sonography Conc (Owens Code: PVST) | 221 |
| Pre-Veterinary Tech Cert (Owens Code: PVET) | 156 |
| Prof Law Enforcement Officer (Owens Code: PLEO) | 299 |
| Professional Law Enforce Cert (Owens Code: ZOPA) | 616 |
| Project Management Certificate (Owens Code: ZPMC) | 566 |
| Psychology Concentration (Owens Code: PSYC) | 245 |
| Psychology Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: PSTA) | 189 |
| Psychology Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: PSTP) | 187 |
| Radiologic Technology (Owens Code: RDTT) | 1072 |
| Recording Production Cert (Owens Code: ZRPC) | 228 |
| Registered Nurse Program - LPN (Owens Code: NRSL) | 347 |
| Registered Nurse Program (Owens Code: NRSP) | 330 |
| Sales Certificate (Owens Code: ZSAL) | 245 |
| Security Tech Certificate (Owens Code: ZSTC) | 743 |
| Skilled Trades Build Maint (Owens Code: SKTB) | 200 |
| Skilled Trades Electrical (Owens Code: SKTE) | 213 |
| Skilled Trades Mechanical (Owens Code: SKTM) | 300 |
| Social Work Concentration (Owens Code: SWKC) | 216 |
| Social Work Trans Pathway (Owens Code: SWTP) | 183 |
| Sociology Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: SOTP) | 201 |
| Surgical Technology (Owens Code: SURT) | 221 |
| Technical Theatre Certificate (Owens Code: ZTTC) | 206 |
| Theatre Transfer Pathway (Owens Code: THEP) | 168 |
| Tool and Die/Mold Maker Cert (Owens Code: ZTLD) | 474 |
| Vascular Sonography Cert (Owens Code: ZVSC) | 736 |
| Vascular Sonography Major (Owens Code: VSTM) | 723 |
| Visual Communication Tech (Owens Code: VCMT) | 285 |
| Web Design Certificate (Owens Code: ZWDS) | 459 |
| Web Dev Front-End Cert (Owens Code: ZWFC) | 583 |
| Welding (Owens Code: WELD) | 434 |
| Wide-Area Networking Tech (Owens Code: WANT) | 478 |
Professional licensure, certification, or first professional credential costs
| Program | Estimated cost for licensure/certification |
|---|---|
| Baking & Pastry Cert-1 (Owens Code: ZBPD) | $25 |
| Certified Personal Train Cert (Owens Code: ZCPT) | 320 |
| Computed Tomography Cert (Owens Code: ZCTC) | 225 |
| Culinary Arts Cert1 (Owens Code: ZCAB) | 25 |
| Culinary Arts Program (Owens Code: CAPP) | 25 |
| Dental Assisting Certificate (Owens Code: ZDAC) | 135 |
| Dental Hygiene Program (Owens Code: DHYP) | 2058 |
| Diagnostic Med Sonography (Owens Code: SONO) | 475 |
| Dietary Manager Cert (Owens Code: ZCDM) | 399 |
| EMT-Paramedic Certificate (Owens Code: ZPAR) | 160 |
| Ex Sci Personal Train Cert (Owens Code: ZEPT) | 320 |
| General Sonography Cert (Owens Code: ZGSC) | 250 |
| Health Information Mgt Systems (Owens Code: HINF) | 299 |
| Hospitality Management Program (Owens Code: HOSP) | 36 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse Cert (Owens Code: LPNP) | 200 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tec (Owens Code: MRIT) | 225 |
| Medical Assisting Certificate (Owens Code: ZMDA) | 125 |
| Medical Assisting Program (Owens Code: MDAP) | 125 |
| Medical Coding Certificate (Owens Code: ZMED) | 498 |
| Occupational Therapy Assist (Owens Code: OTAP) | 615 |
| Physical Therapist Assist (Owens Code: PTAP) | 700 |
| Radiologic Technology (Owens Code: RDTT) | 270 |
| Registered Nurse Program - LPN (Owens Code: NRSL) | 275 |
| Registered Nurse Program (Owens Code: NRSP) | 275 |
| Surgical Technology (Owens Code: SURT) | 247 |
| Vascular Sonography Cert (Owens Code: ZVSC) | 250 |
| Vascular Sonography Major (Owens Code: VSTM) | 475 |
Adjustments to Cost of Attendance
You may request an adjustment to your Cost of Attendance for the following situations.
- Computer purchase expenses
- Cooperative Education Costs
- Dependent Care Costs
- Disability-related expenses
- Additional transportation expenses to clinical (or similar) sites
- The cost of obtaining professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential for your program of study, if it is not already included in your Cost of Attendance or you are requesting funds to retake a certification test
An adjustment to your Cost of Attendance does not guarantee that you will be eligible for additional aid. Please discuss your situation with your Student Financial Services Advisor before submitting a request. Requests must be processed by the last day of classes for the semester(s) you are attending for the academic year. In order to ensure that your request can be reviewed, submit the Cost of Attendance Special Circumstances Request and and all requested documentation as soon as possible, preferably no later than one week prior to the end of the semester, as listed below.
| Semester | Submit by |
|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | December 7, 2023 |
| Spring 2024 | May 2, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 | August 4, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | November 28, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | May 1, 2025 |
Net Price Calculator
To obtain an estimate of the overall expenses and potential grant and scholarship aid for attendance at Owens, please go to the Net Price Calculator.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) / Student Aid Index (SAI)
The information that is provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is used to calculate an index which is used in determining your eligibility for financial aid. The formula for this calculation is established by federal law. If you are considered a dependent student, parental data is also included in the formula.
For 2023-2024, the index is called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Taxable and non-taxable income, assets, and family members in college are used in the formula.
Starting in 2024-2025, the index is called the Student Aid Index (SAI). Certain information from the federal income tax return, assets, and family size are used in the formula.
Outside Aid
Federal regulations require you to disclose, and the Office of Financial Aid to include, outside awards in your financial aid package. As a result, the Office of Financial Aid may reduce the financial aid initially offered to you. When possible, loans and Federal Work-Study eligibility are adjusted before grants or scholarships. Federal Pell Grant funds are not reduced if you receive a scholarship or other education-based award.
Financial Need
Your financial need is the amount that remains after your EFC / SAI and other student resources are subtracted from the estimated cost of attendance.
If the resulting calculation is a positive figure, then you are considered to have financial need. The Office of Financial Aid attempts to meet your financial need by providing access to federal and state funds.
If your combined EFC / SAI and other resources are higher than the estimated cost of attendance, you will not be eligible for need-based aid, but may qualify for low-interest educational loans. On-campus employment is another source of funds to assist with paying for school expenses.
Change in Financial Circumstances
The Office of Financial Aid recognizes that a sudden change in family finances can have a direct impact on your ability to continue your education. If you, your spouse, or your parents experienced a substantial change to the income that was reported on the FAFSA®, you have the option to request an adjustment by submitting the Special Circumstances application along with all required documentation. Students who have not completed the verification process will also be required to submit verification documentation. The Office of Financial Aid can consider the financial changes and re-evaluate your eligibility for financial aid. Additional assistance will be based on availability of funds.
2023-2024 (Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024)
- 2023-2024 Dependent Student Special Circumstances Application
- 2023-2024 Independent Student Special Circumstances Application
Packaging Your Financial Aid
Since you will be the primary beneficiary of your college education, your package will contain self-help types of aid — loans and/or Federal Work-Study. You also may receive gift types of aid (grants or scholarships) if you demonstrate sufficient need and funds are available. Gift aid does not have to be repaid as long as you complete all classes for the semester. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work-Study are offered to eligible students on a first-applied, first-considered basis until funds are exhausted.
Terms and Conditions of the Financial Aid Package
Most financial aid is originally packaged assuming you will be a full-time student enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours for the entire length of each semester. Some aid programs require a minimum number of credit hours of enrollment. Audited courses and courses taken through the Workforce and Community Services Division do not count toward enrollment requirements.
Some aid programs have supplemental requirements in addition to enrollment and grade point average. Nursing and Federal Direct Loans require you to sign and complete a promissory note. First-time Federal Direct Loan borrowers must also complete Entrance Counseling. Students accepting an offer for Federal Work-Study, America Reads program, and America Counts program must be hired and perform their assigned job duties before they receive those funds.
If you are receiving any type of private, public or outside scholarship you must report it in writing to the Office of Financial Aid. Failure to do so may result in an over award, which may cause a balance on your Owens account and will require immediate repayment.
Changes to the Financial Aid Package
Your aid may be revised at any time, based on a change in your eligibility, your enrollment, or office or agency error. If your financial aid has already been credited to your student account, you may be responsible for partial or full repayment of the funds, regardless of the reason for the adjustment. As required by law, revision of your aid package may occur if:
- Your aid was based on false or inaccurate information (including estimated income data or grade level). This may be the result of corrections found during the verification process.
- The amount of financial aid received exceeds your calculated financial need.
- You do not maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- You fail to meet enrollment, grade point average, participation or other requirements for a specific award.
- You drop classes, stop attending classes, withdraw from the College or do not complete all modules for which you were registered for at the time those modules began.
- The Office of Financial Aid made an error in, or there has been a change in state or federal guidelines for, determining your eligibility for, or disbursement of, your financial aid awards.
The Office of Financial Aid has the right to review, adjust and cancel a financial aid award at any time due to changes in your financial or academic status or your failure to provide requested documentation. Financial aid is contingent upon many factors, including availability of federal, state and institutional funding.
Payment of Financial Aid
With the exception of Federal Work-Study, financial aid processed by the Office of Financial Aid will automatically be disbursed to your student account, provided your application is complete and you have met the requirements for each type of aid. The Office of Student Accounts will automatically deduct incurred costs (tuition, fees, lab costs, and other authorized charges such as books and supplies, etc.) from the financial aid that is credited to your account. Any remaining financial aid is refunded to you once the funds are available. With the exception of Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans for which the parent has requested the refund, refunds will be issued in the manner you have selected.
Please allow approximately 3-5 business days for the refund to be applied to your bank account after the “Refund as Selected” message appears on your Ozone student account.
For more information about your refund options, please visit the Office of Student Accounts website.
Private scholarship checks received by the College will be directly applied to your account unless otherwise specified by the scholarship donor. When the Office of Financial Aid is notified, it will be listed as part of your aid package as an “outside scholarship”.
If your Federal Direct Loan is for only one semester, the loan will be issued in two separate disbursements within the semester. The second disbursement will be provided after half of the semester has been completed. New freshman Federal Direct Loan borrowers should note that federal regulations require the first disbursement of a Federal Direct Loan to be delayed until 30 days after the start of classes.
All Federal Direct Loan borrowers are required to be enrolled, have attendance verified in and maintain at least six credit hours at time of disbursement.
Financial aid disbursements for eligible students begin on the dates listed below.
| Semester | Financial aid disbursements for most students begin… | Loan disbursements for first-time loan borrowers begin… |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | September 20, 2023 | September 27, 2023 |
| Spring 2024 | February 7, 2024 | February 14, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | September 11, 2024 | September 18, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | February 5, 2025 | February 12, 2025 |
Disbursements occur on most Wednesdays.
Book Vouchers
Financial aid recipients who are expected to have funds remaining after tuition costs are covered can use the excess to purchase or rent books and to purchase supplies from online eCampus Bookstore using a book voucher. You can only use the book voucher for books and supplies which are required for your education. This includes the purchase of one computer, laptop, or tablet for educational purposes during your entire academic career. You are expected to purchase required textbooks prior to purchasing other eligible items. As a reminder, your book voucher may include student loan funds which must be repaid; therefore, you should consider your purchases carefully.
The book voucher process works as follows.
- As long as you meet certain eligibility requirements, your financial aid file is complete, and you have authorized the use of financial aid for bookstore charges via the Authorization Form, a book voucher will automatically be set up.
- Confirmation of the book voucher and spending limit are posted on your Ozone account. Locate the Financial Aid Summary card. Verify that you are viewing the desired aid year and click on active messages. If you do not have a book voucher, click here for more information or contact the Student Service Center. You may also check your spending limit and remaining balance at eCampus.
- The book voucher can only be used at the eCampus website. If you do not wish to use a book voucher, you may pay the bookstore using another method or may purchase books on your own elsewhere.
- Purchases made using the book voucher will be charged to your student account, viewable in Ozone on the Term Account Balance card.
- Financial aid for which you are eligible is disbursed to your student account and is used to pay tuition, fees, and book voucher purchases. Any financial aid remaining will be refunded to you.
Book vouchers are available during the following periods. All purchases must be made during the book voucher period, including purchases for courses which begin later in the term.
For students whose Satisfactory Academic Progress status is SAP Warning or SAP Probation, or who are near the maximum limit, the current semester’s grades must be reviewed before a book voucher can be issued for the next semester.
| Semester | Book vouchers are available |
|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | August 7, 2023 – September 15, 2023 |
| Spring 2024 | January 2, 2024 – February 2, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 | May 6, 2024 – June 28, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | July 29, 2024 – September 6, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | December 23, 2024 – January 31, 2025 |
FAFSA® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Education.