Owens Community College uses a “freeze” date each semester to determine your enrollment status for awarding financial aid. Your financial aid eligibility is determined by the courses for which you are registered on the freeze date, as long as the completed results from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) are on file by that date.
If your completed FAFSA® results are received after the freeze date, financial aid is based on your enrollment on the date that the completed FAFSA® results are received. Completed FAFSA® results means that a Student Aid Index (SAI) has been calculated by the U.S. Department of Education. This SAI may change once all documentation is submitted and processed.
| Semester | Freeze Date |
|---|---|
| Summer 2024 | June 17, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | September 2, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | January 27, 2025 |
Freeze Date Examples
Below is an example for Spring 2025 semester, assuming that completed FAFSA® results are on file at the beginning of the semester. Examples are for a student who is eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant.
Class changes made before the freeze date
If you add or drop classes before the financial aid freeze date, or before your completed FAFSA® results are on file at Owens, the amount of your financial aid will be recalculated.
Adding a class on or before January 27, 2025
| Original enrollment First Day of Classes |
Add 4 credit hours on or before January 27, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 8 credit hours | 12 credit hours |
| Pell awarded | $2,477.00 | $3,698.00 |
| Tuition and Fees | $1,968.00 | $2,935.00 |
| $509.00 refund | $763.00 refund |
Class changes made after the freeze date
If you add or drop classes after the freeze date, financial aid is not adjusted unless the Return of Title IV Funds policy applies. Therefore, if you make changes after January 27, 2025, and your completed FAFSA® results are on file, your financial aid awards will not be recalculated. This includes adding modular classes, or any classes that start later in the semester. If you add classes after January 27, 2025, you may have a smaller refund or owe money to the College.
Adding a class after January 27, 2025
| Original enrollment First Day of Classes |
Add 4 credit hours after January 27, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 8 credit hours | 12 credit hours |
| Pell awarded | $2,477.00 | $2,477.00 |
| Tuition | $1,968.00 | $2,935.00 |
| $509.00 refund | $458.00 balance due |
This policy applies to federal grants. To receive Federal Direct loans, you must maintain at least 6 credit hours throughout the semester.
Please remember, it is in your best interest to complete all of your add/drop changes by the end of the business day on the freeze date.
You must also meet the attendance requirements below.
Attendance Verification
Your attendance in your classes must be verified in order to meet the eligibility requirements for the federal student aid programs.
- For the Federal Pell Grant, your award amount is based on the courses for which you are registered on the freeze date. These grants are disbursed based on the number of credits for which attendance has been confirmed. You are not eligible for these grants for courses which you do not attend.
- For Federal SEOG and Federal Work-Study, you must be enrolled in at least one class on the freeze date and have attendance confirmed in that class.
- For Federal Direct Loans, you must be enrolled in at least six credit hours to be offered a loan. You must continue to be enrolled in at least six credit hours on the day your loan is disbursed. You also must have attendance verified for at least six credit hours.
Instructors will determine your attendance for all courses, including web courses, based on their criteria and will provide attendance information directly to the Office of Financial Aid. Once attendance has been verified, financial aid for which you are eligible will disburse. For classes that begin later in the semester, financial aid for those classes will disburse once the class has started and attendance has been confirmed.
Students who withdraw or do not complete classes
If you withdraw from all classes, stop attending all of your classes, or do not complete all modules for which you have registered, you must abide by the Return of Title IV Funds policy. As a result, you could owe an overpayment to a grant program, owe funds to the College, and may jeopardize eligibility for future financial aid. For more information regarding the Return of Title IV Funds policy, click here.
The Ohio College Opportunity Grant is prorated based on any changes to tuition charges. Other state grant programs may also require adjustments to the award if you drop a class.
Before withdrawing or dropping any classes that would reduce registered credit hours, you should consult with a Student Financial Services Advisor in the Student Service Center to help determine the impact this would have on financial aid eligibility.
Modular Classes
Financial aid for modular classes that begin later in the semester will not be issued until attendance has been confirmed for those classes. If you enroll in, but do not complete all modules for which you have registered at the time those modules began, you must abide by the Return of Title IV Funds policy.
Course Requirements
You must be enrolled in courses that provide credit toward your declared financial aid eligible degree or certificate program. Courses taken as audit are not eligible.
Developmental Classes
You may take up to 30 developmental credit hours while receiving federal financial aid. Federal financial aid programs will not cover any developmental courses taken after reaching this limit. This includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans.
Developmental courses include, but are not limited to the following:
- Chemistry 095
- English 090
- English 091
- English 095
- English 096
- English 097
- English 099
- Math 013
- Math 033
- Math 054
- Math 064
- Math 070
- Math 074
- Math 089
- Math 091
- Math 096
- Math 099
Developmental courses that are no longer available are still included in determining the 30 developmental credit hour limit.
Repeated Courses
You may receive financial aid for repeating courses. However, if you are retaking a previously passed course, federal financial aid can only be used for one repeat of the course, even if the second attempt results in a lower grade. For a list of grades which are considered “passing”, please refer to the Owens Grading System Procedures. Courses that are repeated are used in the calculation of your Satisfactory Academic Progress status. This rule is separate from the College’s academic policy for repeating a course.
Part-time Enrollment
You may be eligible to receive financial aid even if you are enrolled less than full-time (12 credit hours). For details, refer to the enrollment requirements for each financial aid program in which you may be eligible. Award amounts may vary if you are not enrolled full-time.
FAFSA® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Education.