Financial Aid

How to Apply for Financial Aid
Students cannot apply for financial aid funds before January 1. In addition, there are federal, state, and institutional deadlines that must be met. All financial aid funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have questions or need additional information, forms, or help completing the financial aid forms, please contact your Financial Aid Advisor.

          Tri-County                         Gwen O'Brien                          513-772-7516

          Eastgate                            Jason Howard                       513-943-3600

          Cincinnati State               Sylvia Stevens                         513-569-1806

To receive financial aid students MUST register and maintain a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester.  Financial aid students who change the number of credit hours they are registered for through the Drop/Add process need to consult the Financial Aid Advisor to see how their financial aid will be affected.

If you are interested in applying for financial aid at Wilmington College, you must complete the following steps:

1)  Complete an application for admission to Wilmington College. Financial aid cannot be awarded until you are admitted to the college as a degree-seeking student.

2)  Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1.  The FAFSA form determines eligibility for federal and state aid beginning with the Summer semester of the academic year for which you are applying for financial aid. The FAFSA form will ask for information contained on your most recent federal income tax return. The FAFSA may be completed electronically on the U. S. Department of Education’s website www.fafsa.ed.gov or by paper. You may obtain a paper FAFSA from your respective branch administrative office.

Please note that if you submitted the FAFSA for the prior academic year, the U. S. Department of Education will automatically send you a Renewal FAFSA Application to complete online.  Be sure to release your FAFSA application to Wilmington College by listing our School Code 003142 in Step 6.

3)  Review your Student Aid Report (SAR). Four to six weeks after you submit the FAFSA you will receive a Student Aid Report. Check this form for accuracy. If it is error free, retain the SAR for your files. If you detect an error, contact your Financial Aid Counselor to see if these changes are necessary and to see if they can be updated electronically. Please read this form carefully. The U. S. Department of Education selects approximately 30% of each institution’s aid applicants for a process called verification. If you are selected, you will be informed via your SAR. In addition, Wilmington College will send you an "Information Request Letter" requesting the documents that you are required to submit to us so we can verify the data you provided on your FAFSA application.

4)  Wilmington College will send a Financial Aid Award Notice to you AFTER you have been accepted for admission to the College and AFTER you have completed the verification process (if selected). The awarding process starts in March and continues throughout the academic year.

5)  Review your Financial Aid Award Packet. The Financial Aid Award Packet will contain your Financial Aid Award Notice, which you will need to read, sign, and return. Your packet will also include other forms such as a Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note, Entrance Loan Counseling requirements, and other valuable information about the aid that you have been awarded and the conditions that you must meet to retain your financial aid. Wilmington College requires that you complete and return your Financial Aid Award Notice (indicating your intention to accept all or part of the award) along with any other documents that were enclosed in your packet within two weeks of receiving your Financial Aid Award Packet.

1. Complete the admission application process as early as possible. Obtaining academic transcripts from institutions you previously attended can take several weeks, so plan accordingly. Remember you will not receive a financial aid award notice until you are accepted for admission.
2. Create a financial aid file to hold copies of all completed forms.
3. Accuracy is paramount. Double-check your forms before submitting them. Mistakes can postpone your receipt of aid by eight to ten weeks.
4. Timeliness is important. If you do not meet deadlines established by the federal and state government and Wilmington College, you may not receive all of the aid for which you are eligible.
5. If you have questions, need forms, or need assistance contact your Financial Aid Counselor.

Federal and State Aid Programs

Federal Pell Grant
Financial need
Up to $4,050

Federal Seog Grant
Financial need
Pell recipient, Up to $ 200

Ohio Instructional Grant
Income less than $16,300
Up to $5,466

Ohio Student Choice Grant
Ohio resident, Full-time, Did not attend college prior to 1984,
Approximately $900

Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan
Financial need, 00 – 29 hours up to $2,625, 30 – 59 hours
up to $3,500, 60+ hours up to $5,500

Federal UnsubsidizedStafford Loan
Financial need, dependency status, 00 – 59 hours
up to $4,000, 60+ hours up to $5,000

Cincinnati Branch Scholarships
The Cincinnati Branch Scholarship is designed to reward those students who have displayed outstanding academic performance at Wilmington College. To be eligible to apply you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be admitted in good academic standing to a degree-seeking program at Wilmington College.
• You must be enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours at one of the Cincinnati Branch campuses.
• You must have completed one semester at Wilmington College.
• You may not receive any employer reimbursement, grants, or other tuition assistance (with exception of student loans) that exceeds the value of this scholarship.
• You are not eligible to apply if you are an Early Childhood Education major.

Payment Options

Single Payment – Pay semester charges in full by the due date stated on your billing statement. Note: VISA, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted.

Monthly Payment Plan (WILpay) – This convenient, interest free method of payment allows you to pay your tuition in equal monthly payments. This plan is virtually hassle free. Payments are debited directly from your personal checking or savings account on the 20^th of each month. If WILpay is your preferred payment option, you must complete a "Direct Debit Authorization Form", which can be obtained from your respective branch campus office.

Wilmington College Promissory Note - This payment plan is a three month installment payment agreement between the student and Wilmington College.  The sum total of tuition is divided into three equal installments due on the 15th day of the first three months of the current semester.  This is an interest ree payment option as long as payments are made by the due date.  If this is your preferred payment option, you must complete a "Wilmington College Promissory Note", which can be obtained from your respective branch campus office.

Financial Aid – You may use your financial aid funds to cover your charges. However, at the time of registration, Wilmington College must have admitted you as a degree-seeking student AND must have received the results of  your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To receive financial aid, you MUST register and maintain a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester.  If these conditions are not met, you must commit to one of the payment options described above. Once you are accepted for admission AND your financial aid file is complete, you may cancel your payment plan provided your financial aid award will cover your entire remaining balance.

Employer Deferred Payment Plan (EDpay) – If you are eligible to receive tuition reimbursement from your employer at the end of a semster, you may enroll in EDpay.  This plan allows you to defer payment of your balance due until 40 days after the last day of the semester.  If your reimbursement payment is not received by the established due date or does not cover your entire balance due, the credit card information you supply on the EDpay form will be charged for the amount of the tuition due plus a $75 late payment fee.  If EDpay is your preferred payment option, you must complete an "Employer Deferred Payment Plan Form", which can be obtained from your respective branch campus office.

Quick Links to Useful Websites

Financial Aid Forms {http://www.wilmington.edu/manila/admit1/finaid-forms.htm}Print a financial aid or student account document.

PIN Registration {http://www.pin.ed.gov}.  Request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use as an electronic signature on your FAFSA. You can also use your PIN to check on the status of your financial aid application, to correct your FAFSA information, to request a duplicate Student Aid Report (SAR), and to access the National Student Loan Database.

FAFSA on the Web {http://www.fafsa.ed.gov}.  Apply for student financial aid over the Internet. It’s free. It’s fast. It’s secure. It’s easy. Plus you will receive your application results 7 to 14 days sooner than if you mail in a paper application.

Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling {https://ent.glhec.org/webapp/FastAwards/FAController/EntranceCounseling/209}.  It is a federal regulation that students complete a Stafford Loan entrance counseling session prior to obtaining a Federal Stafford Loan. The purpose of this session is to help you to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.

Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note {https://olmpn.glhec.org/webapp/FastMPN/Welcome.do?schoolNr=00314200&;guar=755}  Apply for your Federal Stafford Loan online.  Please complete all of the requested information.  Wilmington College will be sent an electronic notification verifying you have submitted your promissory note.

Stafford Loan Exit Counseling {https://ext.glhec.org/webapp/FastAwards/FAController/ExitCounseling/209}.  The federal government requires all Stafford Loan borrowers to complete a Stafford Loan exit counseling session prior to graduating or ceasing at least half-time (six credit hours per semester) enrollment. The purpose of this session is to help you to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower going into repayment.

Internet Borrower Inquiry Service {https://mygreatlakes.com/borrower/index.jsp}.  Access your Federal Stafford Loan borrowing information with Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation. In addition, you can access your loan holders, your outstanding balance, your repayment information, and so much more.

FastWeb Scholarship Search {https://www.fastweb.com}.  This free site allows students to search a database of over 600,000 scholarships.