New First Year Student Financial Aid Checklist

EXPLORE AND APPLY TO KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

• Apply for admission to Kent State University by March 1 (March 15 for 24-25) to be considered for first-year student merit scholarships.
• Begin a comprehensive scholarship search using these tools:
  • Scholarship Search
  • Student Financial Aid Scholarship Application
  • Outside scholarship search engine
•  Review the Student Financial Aid website for detailed financial aid information.
•  Find information regarding Federal Tuition Assistance for military-connected students.
•  Estimate your out-of-pocket expenses by using the Kent State Net Price Calculator.
•  View current direct costs to attend Kent State University, which include:
  • Tuition
  • On-Campus Housing
  • Meal Plans
•  Consider attending a financial aid workshop or high school financial aid presentation.
•  Create an FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID). If the student is dependent, at least one parent must also apply. The FSA ID will serve as an electronic signature on the FAFSA.

APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for federal and state financial aid programs.  Students are encouraged to file as soon as possible, for early FAFSA processing and awarding.  To ensure maximum eligibility, complete the FAFSA no later than March 1 (March 15 for 24-25).
• View a collection of helpful videos on the FAFSA and financial aid.
• View any outstanding financial aid requirements on FlashLine.
• If requested, complete the verification process prior to receiving federal financial aid.
• If your information submitted on the FAFSA is no longer an accurate representation of your family's current financial situation, consider completing a special circumstance application.

VIEW YOUR FINANCIAL AID AWARDS

• Review your checklist in FlashLine.  Keep track of the steps you need to complete to be ready for the academic year.
  • Your checklist can be found by selecting "My Lists" on the top menu bar.
• Review Terms and Conditions of receiving financial aid on FlashLine.
• View and accept any scholarships on FlashLine.
• Report outside scholarships, awards and other tuition assistance you are bringing to Kent State University on the Resources/Additional Information tab in FlashLine.  Click the link for instructions.
• Begin viewing your financial aid awarded as a result of the FAFSA beginning mid-March in FlashLine.
• Check your Kent State email address regularly for important information from the One Stop for Student Services.
• New first-year students: register for Destination Kent State orientation.
• New first-year students that plan to attend in the summer:
  • Contact the Admissions Office to update your Kent State University start term to summer.
  • Review enrollment plan information and complete enrollment plans on the "Resource/Additional Information" tab in FlashLine.
  • If you plan to enroll at Kent State University for summer semester and would like to use your financial aid, view more information.

TAKE ACTION ON YOUR FINANCIAL AID AWARDS

• Loans are funds that must be repaid; only borrow what you need after careful consideration.  If borrowing federal student loans:
  •  View information about direct loan interest rates and repayment of federal loans.
  •  Students must accept, decline or reduce federal loans via FlashLine.
  •  First-time borrowers: Sign the Master Promissory Note and complete Entrance Counseling.

DISCOVER ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPTIONS

• If you still need help covering your college expenses, please explore the options below:
  • OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS – Investigate whether there are any local scholarships you can apply for on ScholarshipUniverse. 
  • DIRECT PLUS LOAN (FOR PARENTS ONLY) – Parents can apply for a Direct PLUS Loan, which is credit based, at StudentAid.gov. Additional loan funding is available for the student if the parent’s credit application is denied.
  • MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN – Kent State offers students and their families the ability to spread their costs over a monthly payment plan for the fall or spring semesters.
  • EDUCATION SAVINGS PLAN – 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. We recommend requesting payment by July 22 for the fall semester.
  • PRIVATE LOANS – Students may apply for a private loan with a credit-worthy co-signer, if necessary. Kent State University does not endorse any lender or lending institution. We will process a private education loan from ANY lending institution. To assist you in your search, we do recommend using ELM Select.
  • SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES APPLICATION – If the information submitted on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is no longer an accurate representation of your family’s current financial situation, please consider completing a Special Circumstance Application.

REVIEW YOUR FINAL STEPS

•  Attend Destination Kent State orientation.
•  Notification of your invoice will be sent to you by email in July for fall semester and in December for spring semester.  The invoice will list your actual expenses as of that day.
• Consider GradGuard Tuition Insurance - A tuition protection plan that provides confidence by reimbursing tuition costs if a student withdraws at any time during the semester for a covered reason. 
•  Visit the One Stop website for detailed billing, payment and due date information.
•  Review information about authorization of Title IV aid under the Financial Aid section of FlashLine.
• Choose your student refund selection after receiving instructions from BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.