All of the financial aid resources, applications and forms you need are available online, and the Student Financial Aid Office has dedicated staff to offer assistance and answer any questions you may have.
Nearly all students are eligible for some form of financial assistance.
The first step is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
After your FAFSA is processed, which typically takes 3-5 business days, you will be able to view your aid status by logging in to Catalyst, UC’s student portal that provides access to information on financial aid as well as billing and registration.
Your “To-Do List” in Catalyst will display any additional requirements that need to be completed before you can view or accept your financial aid award. It is important to monitor your Catalyst account on an ongoing basis.
Although all UC students follow the same financial aid process, there are some financial aid matters that may be particularly relevant to you as a distance-learning student:
Contact Us
The Student Financial Aid Office is committed to helping you obtain the resources you need for your education. Students in Cincinnati Online programs who need to get in touch with the Student Financial Aid Office can use the following contact information:
Jeremy Orndorff
Phone: 513-556-6978
Email: [email protected]
Financial aid packages, grants and scholarships are available for UC Online students. You can offset the cost of your education by applying for FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year that you enroll. Various scholarships are also available for which students can apply. Learn more about your financial aid options and how they can help bring your degree within reach.
Your financial aid will be awarded based on full-time enrollment which is 12 or more credit hours (10 hours for graduate students). However, you may choose to enroll in fewer courses each term of your entire academic career or simply find yourself as a part-time student for an occasional term.
Ten days prior to the term, your aid eligibility will be determined based on enrollment. It will then be evaluated at other points to match your your registration through the 15th day of the term.
In addition to aid disbursement, your total aid eligibility may adjust with a part-time budget adjustment based on your enrollment for the term as determined through the 15th day.
Students attending less than full-time are categorized broadly as part-time for that term. For financial aid purposes, sub-categories of half-time and less than half-time are used to define financial aid fund eligibility.
The chart below can assist you in planning how your aid funds will adjust based on your enrollment. Use it with the term breakdown of your financial aid award offer to view the full-time (or 100%) amount. Calculate how your aid will decrease for non-full-time terms and, as always, project your tuition costs for those same terms to anticipate any out-of-pocket expenses you may have.
While your aid may not adjust immediately with a specific enrollment change, all aid will be re-evaluated by the 15th day of the term to determine your term aid eligibility. Students taking classes during our summer semester should be aware that this can also impact the delivery of your aid package. Financial aid is still available for summer classes. If you’re going to take classes in the summer semester, please view our year-round loan distribution information.
Enrollment classification based on hours for the term is different for undergraduate and graduate/professional students.
NOTES:
Because financial aid awards are initially made with the assumption that students will be enrolled full time, adjustments will have to occur upon verification that a student is enrolling part-time. The cost of attendance or financial aid budget for part-time students is adjusted to reflect the lower amount of tuition and other educational expenses typically incurred by less than full time students.
Student Financial Aid will review all part-time students both before the beginning of each term and after the first two weeks (15th day) to ensure the amount of aid received in the term does not exceed the adjusted part-time budget.
In rare cases where aid eligibility is reduced due to a smaller aid budget, a student may have a balance due following the aid adjustment if refund checks were processed in advance of the adjustment. Student Financial Aid will notify students of any aid eligibility adjustment due to part-time status via their UConnect email account.
Yes. You can provide additional recommendation letters. You can simply add the additional recommender’s contact email in your application. They will receive an email from UC asking for their recommendation. This can be a good idea if you’re worried about one of your recommenders not getting their letter in on time.
Yes. You will need to work with a program advisor to understand what credits will apply and meet the minimum requirement for credit hours completed at the University of Cincinnati.
Some certificates qualify for financial aid, while other certificate programs do not qualify for financial aid. Ask your Enrollment Services Advisor to understand if your certificate program is financial aid eligible. Your Enrollment Services Advisor will also connect you with a Financial Aid Office representative to best understand all of your options.
Yes. Many of our students qualify for some type of financial aid.
Sources of aid:
There are a variety of payment options depending on your eligibility for Financial Aid. Please make sure you work with Financial Aid to understand your eligibility.
The Master of Legal Studies degree is a fully online, asynchronous program designed for working professionals who would benefit from a sophisticated understanding of the U.S. legal system but do not intend to practice law. Legal matters are interwoven with business operations as organizations must follow laws and regulations to legally operate. Graduates of the MLS degree program have the expertise to help their current employers stay within the legal regulations of operation.
You may have always had an interest in law but aren’t sure if law school is for you. Maybe your current work has you collaborating with legal professionals, and you want to increase your knowledge so you can move into a new role or accept new duties.
Our MLS degree with University of Cincinnati Online provides you with new skills and knowledge to enhance your existing career.
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