Sinclair Community College student Brandon Napier hopes financial aid will cut down tuition costs. Sinclair student Laquita Phillips needs her financial aid to pay for both tuition and living expenses.
Neither student was aware that the state-funded Ohio College Opportunity Grant is no longer available to community college students.
History
The grant was created to help phase out the Ohio Institutional Grant over a period of four years, according to Sandy Meadows, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Sinclair. At the end of four years, students still using the OIG would find it replaced by the OCOG.
However, the new grant program required more money than originally anticipated. The state voted to make the grant available only to students attending four-year colleges as part of the 2010-11 state budget. Meadows estimates that Sinclair students lost a total of $5 million in combined OIG and OCOG funds.
“I think the state was working out what was best for students in Ohio,” said Meadows.
Financial aid at Sinclair
Although the OCOG is no longer available to Sinclair students, there are other financial aid options, according to Meadows. Students are not always aware of scholarship opportunities, she said.
Meadows believes that many students are told about scholarships, but they do not always know where to find them or how to apply. She recommends that students visit Sinclair’s Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, scholarships and loans.
One type of financial aid available to Sinclair students is Foundation Scholarships. These scholarships can be awarded according to field of study, academic achievement, creativity, leadership or community service, according to the Financial Aid Web site.
“A lot of times department scholarships will fall under that program,” said Meadows.
What to expect
There are a few things that Meadows believes students should know to make their application process easier. Students need to apply for financial aid early and respond to letters and emails quickly. Also, the longer a student waits to apply for financial aid, the longer the overall process will take, she said.
“We’re definitely quicker than we’ve ever been, but there’s still a lag time between the time you apply and the end of the process,” Meadows said.
The average application takes two to three weeks to process, according to Meadows.
Changes may affect students
Napier, who is entering his freshman year, doesn’t know how much financial aid he will receive, but he isn’t worried if he doesn’t get enough to pay for school. A recent recruit to the Sinclair Pride baseball team, he believes he will have enough money for school regardless.
Phillips has a different outlook. If she doesn’t get enough financial aid to pay for tuition, she won’t be able to take classes this year.