Student Financial Aid

News and Events

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news and events by checking back here. We will include both Kent State University information as well as outside information that may be of interest to you.

Calendar of Events

SFA News was last updated on: 6/13/2013

This page is designed to give you the most up to date information and news available for Kent State Student Financial Aid. For a list of recent FAQ's, click here.

Important Financial Aid Dates (click here for more information on the following events)
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SFA News Items

New Time Limitation on Direct Subsidized Loan Eligibility for First-Time Borrowers on or after July 1, 2013 6/13/2013
In June of last year Congress passed legislation to extend the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans for one year. The bill temporarily delayed the rate from doubling to 6.8 percent on July 1, 2012. To pay for part of the $6 billion cost of temporarily extending the 3.4 percent rate, lawmakers agreed to permanently limit eligibility for subsidized loans to 150 percent of the length of the student�s academic program. This new time limit on subsidized loan eligibility affects only fist -time borrowers of Direct Loans after July 1, 2013. First-time borrower are defined as students who have no outstanding balance of principal or interest on a Direct Loan or FFEL loan on July 1, 2013 OR a student who has never borrowed a Direct Loan prior to July 1, 2013.

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Impact of Sequestration on Federal Aid Programs 4/9/2013
On August 2, 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which put into place automatic federal budget cuts, known as a "sequester," to take effect if Congress failed to enact legislation to reduce the federal deficit by March 1, 2013. Because Congress did not act, these budget cuts are now in effect. Below is link to a summary of the impact of these budget cuts on certain federal student aid programs. Direct Loan fees, TEACH Grant amounts and Iraq and Afganistan Service Grants were impacted. Refer to the link below for more information.

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Tax Information for Students and Tax Benefits for Education 1/18/2013
Did you recently receive a 1098 T form in the mail or on your FlashLine account from the Bursar's Office or a 1098 E from Direct Loans and you are not sure how to interpret it? If you need help understanding tax treatment of financial aid or tax benefits for education the links below from the IRS will provide useful information. Tax information for students from the IRS Tax information for parents from the IRS Tax Benefits for Education Information Center

Paper Renewal Reminders Discontinued by Dept. of Education 1/17/2013
The Department of Education has discontinued all paper Renewal Reminders. In previous years, paper Renewal Reminder letters were mailed to students who did not provide an e-mail address on their FAFSA. Removing the paper letter option reinforces the ongoing effort of the Department of Education to emphasize electronic communication over postal mail.Students may complete a Renewal FAFSA at the link below by selecting "Login" as a "Returning User".

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Important Federal Pell Grant Update 2/7/2012
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 reduced a student's duration of eligibility to receive Federal Pell Grant from 18 semesters (or its equivalent) to 12 semesters (or its equivalent). This provision applies to all Federal Pell Grant eligible students and is effective beginning with the 2012-13 award year. The calculation of the duration of a student's eligibility will include all years of the student's receipt of Federal Pell Grant funding. This new federal regulation will affect all Federal Pell Grant recipients and is not limited to the students who received their first Federal Pell Grant on or after the 2008-2009 award year.

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Federal Direct Loans - Graduate students 2012-2013 12/14/2011
Effective for loan periods after July 1, 2012, graduate and professional students will not be eligible for subsidized Federal Direct Loans. Graduate and professional students will continue to be eligible for subsidized loans for the summer 2012 loan period.

Be Wary of Scholarship & Financial Aid Scams 8/2/2006
Don�t let yourself become a victim of a scholarship scam. Be suspicious of any agency or organization indicating that you have been selected for an award or recognition and all you need to do is pay a membership fee to possibly win a scholarship. Remember: you should not have to pay more than a postage stamp to apply for or receive a scholarship. Another indication that a scholarship may be a fraud is that there is minimal or no contact information on the organization. Below are some links for more information about scholarship and financial aid scams and how to spot one. http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/scams.phtml http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/resources/articles/index/104586?id=