Financial Aid Next Steps

Use the Estimated Cost of Attendance section on your financial aid offer to help determine whether you will have out-of-pocket costs. To learn more about your costs:

• Visit our Cost of Attendance webpage.
• Review current tuition and fees.
• Explore housing and meal plan rates.

Financial aid is subject to change at any time. This may occur if Kent State receives new or additional information, including information regarding your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), enrollment status, external funding or changes to federal or state financial aid programs.
 

• Sign in to FlashLine to accept or decline your financial aid. You must complete this step for your aid to be reflected on your student account.
• You may accept, partially accept or decline financial aid with a status of “offered” via FlashLine. Find detailed instructions on our How-To page.
• On your Financial Aid Dashboard in FlashLine, you can explore various tabs, such as the Resources tab, where you will find information regarding eligibility and renewal requirements for scholarships. 

If you have any unsatisfied student requirements, you will see them displayed on the Home tab of your Financial Aid Dashboard in FlashLine.

• Any outstanding items will be listed in a "required" status. These may include loan requirements, such as completing Entrance Loan Counseling or signing a Master Promissory Note, or submitting documents for financial aid verification. 
• As a reminder, all students who accept a Federal Direct student loan must complete Entrance Loan Counseling and a Master Promissory Note.

Review any active messages on the Notifications tab of your Financial Aid Dashboard.

• Active messages contain additional information and instructions regarding your financial aid.

Students are welcome to bring any scholarship received from an external source (such as your high school, church, community/civic organization or employer) to Kent State University, provided the donor will allow the use of the scholarship at Kent State. However, those scholarships must be reported to the University Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. 

• For examples and instructions, visit our Outside Resource information page.
• Mail scholarship checks to Attention: Bursar, Kent State University, PO Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242

Additionally, full-time employees and part-time hourly or unclassified administrative staff who have completed the waiting period from their date of hire may apply for the tuition waiver benefit.

Create a ScholarshipUniverse account using your FlashLine username and password. ScholarshipUniverse will match you to scholarships you are eligible to apply for at Kent State and externally. 

• Explore ScholarshipUniverse.
• Remember to check ScholarshipUniverse periodically for updates and future scholarship opportunities.

If after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you need additional assistance covering college expenses, you may consider gap funding. Gap funding can be used to fill the remaining balance due after all other financial aid, grants, and scholarships are applied.

• Get assistance with gap funding.
• Explore our Types of Aid page for additional funding options.

If your family and/or income information has changed and the 2026-2027 FAFSA is no longer an accurate representation of your family’s ability to pay for education-related expenses, you may benefit from the Special Circumstances process.

You will receive an official invoice in your Kent State email account in mid-July containing a breakdown of your Fall 2026 charges. Spring 2027 invoices will be sent in early December.

• View instructions on how to view your bill and student account details.
• If there is a remaining balance, review payment options.
• If you have an established education savings plan (529 Plan), please request that payment be sent to Kent State from your provider at least two weeks before the billing due date.
• Explore additional loan options, if necessary.

In the event that you receive more financial aid than is needed to cover your bill at Kent State, any excess funding will be refunded to you. 

• In order to process a refund, review the information provided on our refund processing page.
• Your refund preference cannot be set up until 24 hours after course registration occurs.

To ensure that your financial aid credits to your account, you must have a final high school transcript on file at Kent State. 

• Talk to your school counselor and have them email transcripts to transcripts@kent.edu.

If you are a transfer student, you must submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended, even if you feel credit will not be transferable.

If you are a graduate student, you must submit official transcripts from every college or university where a degree was/will be conferred.

Federal regulations require students to authorize access to their education record, including financial aid and billing questions, for any individuals other than themselves.

To allow parents, guardians or advocates to view your account or discuss billing and financial aid with Kent State, log in to FlashLine and complete “Grant Online FERPA Authorization”.

• Learn more about granting access and authorization to your student account.

Students can designate KSUview access to allow parents or family members to view certain FlashLine information.