OHIO Excellence Awards Frequently Asked Questions

All first-year students who are new to the Athens campus of Ohio University in fall 2025 are eligible for consideration for OHIO Excellence Awards scholarships and grants. All incoming first-year students who apply by the early action deadline of November 15, 2024, and earn admission will be considered for the program automatically. Applicants who submit a complete application, including the application form and all required supporting materials, after November 15, 2024, will be considered for all University scholarships, as availability permits.

All incoming first-year students who apply by the early action deadline of November 15, 2024, and earn admission will be considered automatically for OHIO Excellence Awards. Applicants who submit a complete application, including the application form and all required supporting materials, after November 15, 2024, are considered for all University scholarships, as availability permits. This scholarship program includes generous merit-based scholarships, supportive need-based grants and a set of awards unique to Ohio University that blend both merit- and need-based criteria. To be considered for the need-based awards, the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be received by OHIO's February 15, 2025, first-priority date. Students may be considered for need-based aid on a rolling basis after FAFSA priority date. No separate form is required.

The OHIO Admission Promise  for fall 2025 ensures general University admission for first-year applicants who apply by the early action deadline of November 15, 2024, have earned a minimum 3.0 grade-point average on a strong college prep curriculum, and whose FAFSA results are received by OHIO's February 15, 2025, first-priority date. Once applicants have met those criteria, the $2,000 renewable OHIO Admission Promise Award is awarded automatically. Renewal of the OHIO Admission Promise Award requires completion of the FAFSA each year by the priority date. 

All admitted students, including test-optional applicants, will receive full consideration for scholarships and grants at OHIO. Standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) will be considered only if doing so increases a student’s award eligibility. If tests are not present, or if a student’s award eligibility would be stronger without including tests that are on file, test scores will be not be considered.

Merit scholarships are based on information that Undergraduate Admissions collected when you submitted the 2025-2026 Application for Admission and Scholarships (and supporting materials).  OHIO may continue to make scholarship awards using updated credentials received after the FAFSA first-priority date on an individual basis. Need-based awards are determined by the results of your FAFSA, which must be received by the first-priority date. Comprehensive financial aid offers, which OHIO intends to begin sending on a rolling basis beginning in March, will include federal, state and institutional aid in addition to merit-based scholarships.

The highest cumulative high school grade-point average, weighted or unweighted, standardized to 4.0 scale, will be considered. OHIO will recalculate non-standard GPAs to a 4.0 scale as needed.

You will be notified by postal mail when you have been awarded an OHIO Excellence Award. Notification of merit-based scholarship awards will be sent to admitted students on a rolling basis beginning in December. If, based on your FAFSA, you are eligible for any need-based awards, including those that blend merit and need, you will be notified in your comprehensive Financial Aid Offer, which OHIO intends to begin sending on a rolling basis in March. This aid offer will include federal, state and other institutional financial aid.

Award recipients must submit their housing contracts (or commuter application) and housing deposit on or before May 1, 2025, to accept the award; that process begins in December at www.ohio.edu/admitted . Program funding for recipients who submit their housing contracts and deposits after May 1, 2025, will be contingent on availability.

Yes! Ohio University must receive your FAFSA results by the February 15, 2025, first-priority date if you would like to be considered for the OHIO Admission Promise Award. Admitted students whose FAFSA results are received after the FAFSA priority date will be considered for need-based OHIO Excellence Awards as availability permits.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will open for testing in October 2024 and to all students and families by December 1. Submit the FAFSA at studentaid.gov  and include Ohio University’s school code: 003100.

Out-of-state students are eligible to be considered for most OHIO Excellence Awards. The OHIO Trustee Award is a special scholarship that is available only to out-of-state students and is awarded in addition to other OHIO Excellence Awards for which you may qualify. International students are eligible to be considered for the merit-based portions of the OHIO Excellence Awards, with the exception of the OHIO Admission Promise Award, which requires submission of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Students receiving full tuition (instructional fees) awards through Ohio University Educational Benefits, full athletic scholarships and Cutler Scholar awards are not eligible for OHIO Excellence Awards. Appalachian Scholars and Urban Scholars are eligible to be considered for the OHIO Forward Award only. Recipients of the OHIO Premier Scholarship or Templeton Scholars Award are eligible to be considered for the OHIO Trustee Award only. Recipients of the District of Columbia (D.C.) Tuition Assistance Grant or the OHIO Next Generation Award are not eligible for the OHIO Trustee Award unless participating in the DC-CAP Scholars Program. Additional restrictions may apply, and the program is subject to change. For renewal criteria, please refer to your scholarship award notification. 

All OHIO Excellence Awards are renewable for up to four consecutive years of undergraduate study (two semesters per academic year). Most awards require students to enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. Please note that a student must complete an average of 15 hours per semester to graduate within four academic years. Renewal criteria vary by individual award. Please refer to your scholarship award notification for the details specific to your award(s). Renewal of the OHIO Admission Promise Award requires submission of the FAFSA each year by the first-priority date but does not require a minimum or maximum level of need for consideration. Merit-based awards have specific academic performance criteria for renewal, such as your OHIO grade-point average. Need-based awards, including those that are blended with merit, are renewable contingent upon continued demonstration of financial need via the results of the FAFSA. FAFSA results must be received annually by the priority date for priority consideration. Consequently, any need-based OHIO Excellence Awards may vary in amount each year.

Yes! Several other generous scholarships are available for first-year students. Comprehensive Financial Aid Offers, which OHIO intends to begin sending on a rolling basis in March, will include any OHIO Excellence Awards in addition to any federal, state and other institutional aid for which you may qualify. 

Filing the FAFSA is simply your application for federal, state and institutional aid at Ohio University. While filing a FAFSA is required to be considered for the $2,000 OHIO Admission Promise Award, you don't have to have financial need to be eligible for that scholarship. Families are not obligated to accept any other types of financial aid that might be offered, including loans.

The OHIO Excellence Awards are only offered on the Athens campus, but the OHIO Regional Advantage Awards program recognizes academic achievement within our regional communities and provides awards for fall 2025 incoming full-time freshmen.