Applying for Aid

The decision on what college or university to attend is one of the most important decisions that a person makes. The way to pay for that education is often the deciding factor on what school to attend. This page is designed to provide you with all the materials that you will need to apply for Federal Financial Aid at Kent State University.

Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1, 2021 for the 2022-2023 academic year. To ensure maximum financial aid eligibility, complete the FAFSA no later than February 1, 2022.

Admission to Kent State University 

Contact the Kent State University Office of Admissions to make sure you have applied and been accepted to attend Kent State University.

  • 1-800-988-KENT or 330-672-2444
  • Email Admissions at kentadm@kent.edu
  • Your financial aid will not be processed until you are admitted to Kent State University
  • Guest students are NOT eligible to receive financial aid

Create an FSA ID

  • What's an FSA ID and why do you need one? The FSA ID will allow you to electronically sign your FAFSA, along with your Master Promissory Note.  Dependent students must have at least one parent create and FSA ID and password as well to electronically sign the FAFSA or complete a PLUS Loan Request.
  • More information on how to create an FSA ID can be found at Federal Student Aid  
  • To watch a video on creating an FSA ID, please visit our video page.

Complete the Free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

  • The most important step to receive financial aid (including some scholarships) is to complete the FAFSA. To complete the FAFSA, visit Federal Student Aid.
  • Students should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 of each year.  
  • To watch a video on how to complete the FAFSA, please visit our video page.
  • Students can find help completing the FAFSA online.
  • Students are always encouraged to visit the One Stop for Student Services for FAFSA in a Flash or attend FAFSA Help Ohio for assistance with completion of the FAFSA. 
  • Review more information on how to provide your financial information on the FAFSA.
  • Make sure you use the proper Title IV School Code of 003051 for all students at Kent State University. If you will be attending one of our Regional Campuses, include only the school code that corresponds to the Regional Campus you wish to attend.
  • The 2022-2023 FAFSA is required for financial aid for the Summer 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters.
    • The 2022-2023 FAFSA uses income from 2020.
    • The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available for the 2022-2023 FAFSA. This will pull your 2020 income information straight from your tax return and input it into the FAFSA. To check your eligibility to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool, visit the FAFSA website. If you are ineligible, you will need your 2020 Federal tax returns and W-2 forms to complete the FAFSA.
  • The 2021-2022 FAFSA is required for financial aid for the Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters.
    • The 2021-2022 FAFSA uses income from 2019.
    • The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available for the 2021-2022 FAFSA. This will pull your 2019 income information straight from your tax return and input it into the FAFSA. To check your eligibility to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool, visit the FAFSA website. If you are ineligible, you will need your 2019 Federal tax returns and W-2 forms to complete the FAFSA.
    • We recommend completing the 2021-2022  FAFSA before April 15, 2022 to permit time for processing and/or document submissions.  If completed after this date, there is no guarantee that financial aid eligibility will be reviewed and disbursed before end of spring term.  Contact the One Stop for Student Services for any questions.

What's Next?

Once you have been admitted to Kent State University and Kent receives your application information from the federal government, you will receive a Financial Aid Offer Letter in late February (new first-year students) or mid-to-late April (all other students). Only new students will receive a paper offer letter. All others will receive an email notification to view their awards on FlashLine.

Become familiar with the following Kent State resources, checking often for possible updates:

  • FlashLine (Kent State University’s Student Portal)
  • Your kent.edu email. This is the primary method of communication with Kent State students.
  • Financial Aid Checklist

Remember to Apply for Scholarships

Kent State helps you find your purpose while providing an education that’s a good value for your future. We want to make it easy to afford and to plan for your college expenses. The Kent Campus offers a variety of scholarships for new students. You can qualify for scholarships for many reasons: academic merit, talent, financial need, field of study or participation in a specific program, organization or activity. Scholarship offers and award amounts will be determined by official testing and high school transcript information submitted to Kent State University at the time of application.  

To apply for scholarships at Kent State University:

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