2024-2025 Financial Aid Awards
We are pleased to offer you aid for the 2024-25 academic year. We are excited to see you continue your education at the University of Cincinnati!
We know that the delays due to the implementation of the 2024-25 FAFSA have been stressful as you sought to finance the academic year ahead. We thank you for your patience throughout this very unsual award timeframe.
Initial award offers of the year are sent as a unique webpage that includes video content along with your offered aid and projected costs. This unique webpage remains available for 90 days.
The Bearcat Portal will always show your current award offer. Any updates to your award are shown or actions you need to take (including accepting or declining aid) can done via the portal.
A glossary of terms can help you more fully understand your award offer.
Specific to 2024-25
The following information is specific to 2024-25:
- Tuition costs on your award offer are estimates until the Board of Trustees set fees for the upcoming year as anticipated in June 2024.
- While Selective Service Registation for males 18 years old or older is no longer required for aid eligibility, Ohio law does require it to receive in-state tuition rates. To avoid issues later, please be sure to register as required.
Accessing the Bearcat Portal
Students can access key information and conduct the business of being a student via the Bearcat Portal at bearcatportal.uc.edu. The portal acts as your front door to other UC systems.
- As a new student, if you have not signed on previously, search your email account using "Bearcat Portal" to find the introductory email sent to you.
- If you have difficulty with your login, there is self-service information on recovering your username and password. Assistance is also available at 513-556-HELP.
- This username and password is your single signon to multiple UC systems.
You should turn OFF any pop-up blocker when accessing the Bearcat Portal.
The Bearcat Portal accesses Catalyst (and other UC systems) as needed to complete your activities and show information in one key location.
Catalyst is the University of Cincinnati student information system. You can always go directly to Catalyst at catalyst.uc.edu and log on using your same UC username and password. Again, turn OFF any pop-up blocker when accessing Catalyst.
Viewing Award & Accepting/Declining Aid
Scholarships and grants are automatically accepted when they are awarded.
For any Federal Work-Study or loan awards, you will need to take action to accept them.
- Logon to the Bearcat Portal at bearcatportal.uc.edu.
- Go to the finances area to access your financial aid award.
- Click to view the award and choose the appropriate aid year.
- Accept or decline offered aid as you wish.
- Be sure to hit "submit" after taking any action.
Also, please alert us if you anticipate aid that is not showing as part of your award offer.
Your award is generally made based on full-time attendance. Enrolling in co-op or as a part-time student for any given term this academic year can change your aid distribution.
When accepting loans, please review detailed information on loan next steps.
Tasks Checklist
You may have additional steps now or as you move through the financial aid process. These required additional steps and other important matters will be detailed via your tasks within the Bearcat Portal. These tasks are often referred to as "To Do" items.
Leaving "To Do" items incomplete can result in delays or loss of aid. Additionally, any awards made prior to completing these items are estimations of eligibility. Full determination of your award will be made once all "To Do" requirements are met.
Take action to complete items as they post to your record. Review the status of your "Tasks" each time you log into the Bearcat Portal.
Additional Options for Meeting Costs
Financial aid can assist in meeting your costs, but rarely will financial aid cover all of a student's costs.
To aid you in understanding your aid package, we have provided your aid relative to your total cost of attendance. These figures are made up of direct (billed by UC) and indirect (non-billed) cost estimates for attending UC.
Many students and families find it helpful to focus on their billed UC cost to predict their out-of-pocket expenses. You will need to meet them through family finances or other means. Additionally, if there are costs not billed by UC that you wish to cover, you will want to account for those in your personal budgeting.
Even scholarship-only students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for federal, state and institutional funding.
The UC Semester Payment Plan, a Federal Parent PLUS Loan (for parents of dependent students), and non-federal alternative loans are also ways families seek to meet more of their educational costs.
Contact Us
Students are issued a UC email account following admission confirmation. All students should regularly check their UC email account as that is where all official UC communications will be sent.
We are here to help! Contact Enrollment Services to better understand your award offer and projected costs.
Enrollment Services
513-556-1000
enrollmentservices@uc.edu
uc.edu/enrollment-services
Campus Locations:
Clifton/Uptown Campus - 220 University Pavilion
UC Blue Ash Campus - 150 Muntz Hall
UC Clermont Campus - 100 Student Services Bldg