FAFSA negative SAI (-1500) in Ohio - what state aid am I eligible for?

my sai was -1200 and i got the ohio college opportunity grant. its not much but better than nothing i guess

With a negative SAI of -1500, you should definitely qualify for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). For the 2025-2026 academic year, students attending public Ohio universities with an SAI below 9,500 are eligible. The award amount varies by institution type: - Public universities: around $2,200 per year - Private non-profit colleges: around $3,500 per year - Community colleges: limited funding (usually around $1,100) The good news is you don't need to file a separate application for OCOG. Your FAFSA information is automatically shared with Ohio colleges, and they'll include it in your financial aid package if you're eligible.

You should also look into the Choose Ohio First Scholarship if you're going into STEM fields. With your negative SAI, you'd probably be priority for institutional grants too - make sure you check with your specific college's financial aid office because each school in Ohio has their own institutional aid on top of the state stuff.

I went through this last year with my daughter. With your negative SAI, you'll definitely get OCOG, but the frustrating part is you won't know exactly how much until your school processes everything. We had to call the Federal Student Aid office repeatedly to confirm her SAI was being correctly transmitted to the Ohio schools she applied to. It took WEEKS of being on hold and getting disconnected.

BE CAREFUL! Ohio aid is SUPER confusing and every school handles it differently! I qualified for OCOG based on my SAI but my community college said I couldn't get it because I was also getting Pell Grant that covered my tuition already. Some weird rule about not exceeding tuition costs. Check if your school has similar rules!!!

Don't forget to check with your county too. Some Ohio counties have additional grants for local students with high financial need. With your negative SAI you'd probably qualify. The deadline for most county grants is May 1st so you still have time.

Based on your negative SAI, you should expect: 1. Full Pell Grant ($7,395 for 2025-2026) 2. OCOG (amount varies by school type) 3. Institutional grants from your specific college 4. Possibly work-study eligibility Make sure you accept your financial aid package by the priority deadline your school sets. Ohio schools often have earlier deadlines than the rest of the country for state aid.

what school r u going to? my brother got extra money at kent state with negative SAI but my friend at OSU said they dont give as much

One more thing to be aware of - your SAI may change slightly next year when you renew FAFSA. Ohio has stricter requirements than some states about maintaining aid eligibility. Make sure you: 1. Complete at least 24 credit hours per academic year 2. Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA 3. File your renewal FAFSA by February 1st for priority consideration Even small changes to your SAI can affect your state aid eligibility.

As a newcomer here, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with a negative SAI and was feeling overwhelmed trying to understand all the different aid options. A few quick questions for anyone who's been through this process: 1. Should I be proactively contacting my school's financial aid office about OCOG, or will it automatically show up in my aid package? 2. For those who mentioned county grants - is there a central database to search what's available by county, or do I need to call my county directly? 3. Has anyone had success appealing their initial financial aid package if it seemed lower than expected given their negative SAI? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - it's really helping me feel more confident about navigating this process!