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Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)

Update: Delay in OCOG Payments

The latest 2009-2010 OCOG eligibility rosters are now available. Schools have complete access to the eligibility rosters which will aid them in confirming their individual students' OCOG eligibility

Unfortunately, the payment request files for 2009-2010 cannot be made available until the full restructure project is complete with the re-coding and reprogramming of the new OCOG award amounts and features. Depending on multiple factors, the full project may not be complete until December. Until these payment request files are available, schools will not be able to request OCOG funds from the Ohio Board of Regents.

In the meantime, many schools may choose to credit OCOG funds to student accounts, even though the payments to schools will not take place until later in the calendar year. However, not all schools will be able to credit OCOG to student accounts until closer to the time the payment files are available. The Ohio Board of Regents respects the decision each school will make respective to their ability to advance OCOG dollars to students.

We will continue to prioritize the completion of this restructure in an effort to provide OCOG funding to schools on behalf of eligible students as soon as possible.

Who is Eligible?

The Ohio College Opportunity Grant Program (OCOG) provides need-based tuition assistance to Ohio residents is an associate's or bachelor's degree or nursing diploma program attending an eligible institution. Eligible students must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 2190 or less with a maximum household income of $75,000.

How do I apply?

Students apply for OCOG benefits by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application deadline is October 1 of each year.

How much aid is available?

2009-2010 Award Chart

Enrolled  Full-time   3/4 Time   1/2 Time   1/4 Time 
Public Institutions
Community Colleges $0 $0 $0 $0
Regional Campuses $0 $0 $0 $0
Central State University $0 $0 $0 $0
Shawnee State University $480 $360 $240 $120
All Other Public Main Campuses $1,008 $756 $504 $252
Private, Non Profit Institutions
Allegheny Wesleyan College $0 $0 $0 $0
Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences $1,832 $1,374 $916 $458
Franklin University $1,800 $1,350 $900 $450
God's Bible College $240 $180 $120 $60
Mercy College $1,848 $1,386 $924 $462
Rosedale Bible College $816 $612 $408 $204
Springfield Regional School of Nursing $0 $0 $0 $0
Trinity School of Nursing $864 $648 $432 $216
Tri-State Bible College $0 $0 $0 $0
All Other Private, Non Profit $2,256 $1,692 $1,128 $564
Private, For Profit $0 $0 $0 $0
Pennsylvania Institutions* $600 or $800 $300 or $400 $300 or $400 $0

*Amounts for Ohio residents attending eligible Pennsylvania institutions--$800/$400 figures apply to veterans and $600/$300 figures to non-veterans.

(official award tables will be created and approved as part of administrative code)

  • These maximum award amounts should be considered a guide to potential OCOG eligibility and are subject to final determination made by institutional financial aid offices. Reasons for reduced OCOG eligibility include, but are not limited to, failure to meet institutional standards of academic progress and a lower tuition/fees structure under the statutory Pell-first concept of OCOG.
  • All amounts reflect annual awards. Appropriate annual award amount should be divided by two for semesters or three for quarters.
  • Eligible students continuously enrolled may receive an additional 1/2 or 1/3 of their respective award amount in their third semester or fourth quarter.
  • Students are limited to 10 semesters or 15 quarters of state, need-based grant aid (including combination of OCOG and OIG).

State funding for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program for the 2009-2010 academic year is supplemented in part by federal funds provided under the following two grant programs: Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) and College Access Challenge Grant (CACG). Ohio accounts for the federal portion of expenditures at the program level and not the school or student level.