Parental Involvement on FAFSA

Because it requires us processing you with an incomplete FAFSA, there are added steps to be taken to get your loan processed. We want to understand your situation so that we can move you toward an appropriate aid package. 

The basic premise of federal financial aid is that students and parents have the primary obligation to finance postsecondary education to the extent they are able. The University of Cincinnati Student Financial Aid Office supports this premise and the current federal dependency definition.

Depending on your situation, staff can work with you to complete the next steps in the process.

• Determining You Wish Unsub Loan Only & Needed Documentation: Unsubsidized loans accrue interest while you are in school as well as when you are in repayment. We want to ensure your options have been explored and you understand the limits to aid awarding. We are also required to collect specific documentation from your parent to make the award. Staff will review with your the needed documentation.
• Determining Best Processing Option: Even if you have only been eligible for Unsubidized Loans in the past, your eligibility may change. As well, processing you with an incomplete FAFSA can cause delays due to manual processing of your award and disbursements of loans. 
• Parents or Students Not Understanding the FAFSA Option: We have found that the changes to the FAFSA and the wording of items have led some families to indicate this option without understanding they could otherwise be considered for additional aid. Because we want to see the student get as much aid as they are eligible to receive, the staff member can both outline the loan-only option requirements and how they may help in talking with your parents so that you can be considered for a fuller aid package.
• Documentation of Unusual Circumstance: In especially difficult cases, staff can determine if an unusual circumstance should be explored. The Enrollment Services staff member can discuss this option with you if your parent is unavailable to participate with your in the FAFSA process. 
• FAFSA Update:  In some cases, student may have unintentionally ended up in this process when completing their FAFSA nd may not meet any of the above scenarios. At any point, a student can go to https://fafsa.gov to review and update their FAFSA after or instead of talking with a staff member at Enrollment Services.

We want to see you move ahead in the financial aid process so that appropriate aid can be awarded.

We ask that you meet with a Senior Enrollment Services staff member in person or on the phone. This meeting is to review your situation and allow us to help you move toward Unsub only awarding with needed documentation, update your FAFSA, or exercise other options to receive aid.

Again, we want to see you receive aid based on your situation. Please work with staff as soon as possible to understand the pathway that best suits your situation within the federal aid regulations and can get appropriate aid awarded.