The ABCs of Financial Aid for College

Financial aid is any grant, scholarship, loan or paid employment offered to students attending a post-secondary educational institution. This funding is only available to students and assists in covering the many costs involved in the pursuit of a college degree. 

Martha Geiger is the director of One Stop Student Services at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College. She says students should start applying in October of the year prior to when they plan to enroll.

For example, if you are planning to attend a college in the fall of 2019, you should fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application in October of 2018. 

“It is best to have your aid resolved and know how much you are awarded by May for fall attendees,” says Geiger. 

Please note that FASFA applications can take 6-8 weeks to complete and will require a Federal Student Aid Identification Number (FSA ID) for the student and parent. There are instructions on the FAFSA webpage for setting up an FSA ID. 

Students should have their FSA ID, latest W-2’s and taxes, and any other records of money earned/received in the last fiscal year with them in order to fill out the FAFSA. 

Geiger recommends that students look through Fastweb for potential scholarships. The UC financial aid webpage has other internal and external opportunities as well.

“Companies, groups and organizations often have scholarships available to their members, “ says Geiger.

When applying for scholarships, Geiger warns students to be cautious.

 “If there is a fee or a requirement to purchase something to apply for a scholarship, research it first,” says Geiger. “You should not have to pay for the opportunity to apply.”  

If you are having difficulty navigating the financial aid process, visit your college’s registrar webpage, or the One Stop office webpage if you are a University of Cincinnati student. 

The One Stop office can assist students and parents with things like applying for FAFSA, accepting financial aid, student loans, scholarships and billing information. There is also information on the One Stop webpage for filing the FAFSA and FAFSA-filing workshop dates.

You can contact the UC Blue Ash One Stop office, located in Muntz Hall, Room 150, at 513-745-5740 or onestop@ucblueash.edu.