Financial Aid is offered to students to assist them with funds needed to pay educational costs. A financial aid offer may consist of grants, loans, employment and scholarships. Some financial aid is merit-based based on academic achievement. Other aid is need-based meant to help when family and personal resources are unable to cover your total educational costs.

The first step in finding out how much aid you might be eligible for is to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).  If you are not ready to file, you can get an early estimate of your aid using Central Ohio Technical College’s Net Price Calculator.

Students who receive financial aid must meet and continue to maintain specific eligibility requirements to remain eligible for aid.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

• Demonstrate financial need for need-based federal student aid programs;
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen;
• Have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• Have a high school diploma or a state-recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or completed a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law (or—if state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a completion credential—completing a high school education in a homeschool setting that qualifies as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law);
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school;
• Provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly into your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form;
• Sign the certification statement on the FAFSA form stating that you’re not in default on a federal student loan, you do not owe money on a federal student grant, and you’ll only use federal student aid for educational purposes;
• Federal law no longer requires Selective Service registration as a condition of eligibility for federal student aid. However, under Ohio law, students who are required to register with the U.S. Selective Service System must do so, or qualify for an exemption, to remain eligible for State of Ohio financial aid and to receive Ohio resident (in-state) tuition rates at Ohio public colleges and universities. Students who fail to meet this requirement may lose eligibility for state financial aid and be assessed non-resident (out-of-state) tuition

Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA)

While actual costs will vary from student to student, COTC determines the amount of financial aid you are eligible for by estimating the Cost of Attendance for the average student, then subtracting the Student Aid Index, taken from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

Cost of Attendance – Student Aid Index = Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA): The COA consists of the sum of educational costs payable to the school (also referred to as direct or billable costs) and costs paid to others (or indirect, non-billable or discretionary) costs. The Cost of Attendance represents the highest dollar amount of financial aid a student can receive during an academic year.

Student Aid Index (SAI): The SAI is the eligibility index used to determine your eligibility for federal, and in some instances, state and institutional need-based student financial aid. Generally, students with a higher SAI are eligible for less need-based financial aid. It is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the FAFSA.

Financial Need: The SAI is subtracted from the COA to establish your financial need, which determines how much need-based aid you are eligible for each academic year.

​Cost of Attendance 2026-2027 Academic Year

Receipt of Other Financial Assistance

Federal regulations require the student to disclose and the Office of Student Financial Services to include outside awards in their financial aid offer. If the student receives any form of non-federal assist­ance after the aid offer has been determined, an adjust­ment may be necessary. In some cases, the adjust­ment may include repayment of federal funds. In all cases, if an adjustment is necessary, the student will be notified by email. When possible, federal and state loans and Federal Work Study eligibility are adjusted before grants or scholarships.

Beginning with the 2026–2027 award year, students whose non-federal grants and scholarships (including state, institutional, and private aid) equal or exceed their total Cost of Attendance are not eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. Students whose non-federal aid is less than their Cost of Attendance may still qualify for a Pell Grant if they meet all other federal eligibility requirements. Other assistance may include but are not limited to scholarships, grants, fellow­ships, private loans, Ohio National Guard, WIA, TANF and BVR.

Change in Financial Circumstances

Student Financial Services recognizes that a sudden change in family income or an unavoidable expense can have a direct impact on the ability to continue pursuing one’s education, such as loss of employment, divorce/separation, death or substantial reduction in current year income. Student Financial Services may consider those changes and re-evaluate eligibility for financial aid. In order for the application to be reviewed for special circumstances, the student should submit the appropriate Income Appeal (Dependent or Independent) with documentation to support the request. Students are encouraged to speak to a Student Financial Services specialist concerning their circumstances. COTC’s policy is to begin review of income appeals after April 1, 2026, based on 2024 financial information.

The following changes must also be reported to Student Financial Services:

1. If the student is in default or owes a refund on a federal grant or loan at any institution

2. Conviction for possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving federal financial aid

Audit Courses

Financial aid funds cannot be used to pay for audited courses. If a student elects to audit a course, their aid will be adjusted to exclude the audited hours which could cause a balance due to COTC. Audited courses will not be counted in the credit hours attempted or completed for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Flex Courses

Financial aid may post to student accounts at the beginning of the semester for flex and term courses that do not begin on the first day of semester. However, during the third week of the semester, aid will be removed for courses that have not started. Once the courses have started and attendance has been reported, aid will re-disburse to the student accounts. If students fail to attend or drop the class(es), a balance may still be due.

Minimum Hours Requirement

In order to receive a Federal Direct Student loan, Federal Direct PLUS loan, Federal Work Study, NEALP and institutional scholarships, students must enroll at least six credit hours per semester at COTC. Some institutional scholarships require full-time enrollment and are identified in the scholarship offer letter and the chart, What Happens if You Enroll Less than Full Time. Failure to enroll in the required number of credit hours will result in cancellation of these awards for the semester. If a student drops below six hours before the loans disburse, the student is no longer eligible for the loans.

Other Changes That May Affect Aid Eligibility

Aid may be revised at any time, based on a change in eligibility, enrollment, program (major), office/institutional error or agency error. If financial aid has already been credited to the student account, the student may be responsible for partial or full repayment of the funds, regardless of the reason for the adjustment. As required by law, revision of the aid package may occur if:

• Aid was based on false or inaccurate information;
• Student Financial Services made an error in determining eligibility for or disbursement of financial aid awards;
• The amount of financial aid received exceeds calculated financial need;
• Satisfactory Academic Progress is not maintained;
• The student fails to meet enrollment, grade point average, participation or other requirements of a specific award;
• The student drops classes or withdraws;​​
• The student does not attend their classes;
• The student decides to audit a class;
• The student enrolls in a program that is not eligible for financial aid;
• The student enrolls in courses not required to graduate from their plan of study (aid can be adjusted at any time);
• Student Financial Services is made aware that the student received aid at a previous institution for the current academic year;
• The student repeats a course for the third time and has passed it once before;
• A student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have a degree or certificate is ineligible for additional federal student aid funds for that program.

COTC offers programs that are considered inactive or ineligible are not eligible for financial aid. An example of an ineligible program is a program that is waiting for approval from the federal Department of Education or Ohio Department of Higher Education. Another example of an ineligible program is the& College Credit Plus program. A student registered as a non-degree-, non-certificate-seeking/special status student will not be eligible for financial aid. In each of these situations, a student may continue to take classes in an ineligible or inactive program or in a non-degree seeking status, but will not be eligible for financial assistance from federal, state and institutional financial aid programs while enrolled in these programs. While enrolled in an inactive or ineligible program, all classes attempted may affect financial aid eligibility in the future if the student should change to an eligible program. All classes attempted at COTC and transferred into COTC are counted towards the student’s Maximum Time Frame regardless if the student received financial aid for the classes or not.

Student Financial Services has the right to review, adjust and cancel a financial aid award at any time due to changes in financial or academic status or the failure to provide required documentation. Financial aid is contingent upon many factors, including availability of federal, state and institutional funding.

Repeat Courses

Students may receive financial aid for only one repeat of a previously passed course with a letter grade of a D- or better. Students who repeat failed coursework may continue to receive aid for multiple attempts based on the schools policies and procedures. A student is permitted to retake the class once in hopes of raising the grade and receive aid, but not for any subsequent attempts. If a student failed (F, FN, U) or withdrew from the class, COTC is permitted to give them aid for as many times as they attempt it as long as they are otherwise eligible. (All attempts are included in Satisfactory Academic Progress.)