Note: OB3/OBBBA regulations are still being finalized through federal rulemaking, and the Department of Education has already revised some interpretations during 2026. Please refer to the OB3/OBBBA: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/big-updates
Introduction
Financial aid is money that is provided to help bridge the gap between your own resources and the amount of money needed to pay the cost of attending college. The university administers all of the major federal and state grant and loan programs. In addition, Cleveland State provides university grants and scholarships. Our goal is to help reduce the difference between educational costs related to attendance and the amount that parents and students can reasonably contribute toward the student’s education.
The first step in the financial aid process is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). By completing the FAFSA, you are applying for self-help programs (Federal Work-Study and loans). Students must complete the FAFSA and meet all federal eligibility requirements each year in order to be eligible for financial aid. The major sources of financial aid are university scholarships and grants, federal aid programs, state-supported programs, and a number of sponsored scholarships described on our website.
For the most up to date information, please visit our website at https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid
Financial Aid Application Process
Students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal Application for Federal Aid to determine eligibility for federal, state, and campus-based aid programs. The FAFSA opens annually for the upcoming aid year as announced by the U.S. Department of Education online at: http://www.fafsa.gov Applications should be completed as soon as possible after the FAFSA opens to assure timely processing. A link is provided on our Financial Aid Website: https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid. The Cleveland State University Federal code number is 003032.
To receive financial aid or a determination of eligibility for financial aid, students must be admitted into a degree-granting program at Cleveland State University. Audited classes are not financial-aid eligible.
Students may be required to submit documentation verifying information reported on the FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office will notify you if additional information is required or if you have been selected for the verification process.
Employment Options
Student Employment Programs
On-Campus Student Employment
All students enrolled at Cleveland State for at least six credit hours are eligible to participate in the On-Campus Student Employment Program. In a typical academic year, approximately 2,000 student employment opportunities exist throughout the campus. Students employed on campus can earn money to help pay for their education, develop valuable career skills, and have the added convenience of working flexible hours without additional commuting time.
On-Campus student positions are conveniently posted on the student employment link at https://www.csuohio.edu/career-development-exploration/campus-student-employment
Definitions of Types of Financial Aid
Scholarships/Grants: Awards that do not require either repayment or any specific service to be performed by the student
Loans: Money offered with the requirement that it be repaid.
Employment: Money that must be earned through employment.
Federal Aid Programs
Federal Work-Study Program
This is a federally-funded employment program. Eligibility is determined by the Financial Aid Office on the basis of financial need and the availability of funds.
Students are limited to 20 hours of work per week when classes are in session. Students must be enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours to participate in this program. Hourly pay rates vary based on the position.
Federal work-study funds are usually awarded in combination with and/or loan funds. The university promotes the idea that a part-time job should complement the student’s program of study whenever possible.
Federal work-study positions are conveniently posted on the student employment link.
Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan Program
Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per academic year, subject to new aggregate and lifetime federal borrowing limits established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) effective July 1, 2026.
Effective for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, the aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit for graduate study is $100,000 (separate from any undergraduate Direct Loan borrowing). A lifetime limit of $257,500 also applies across all federal Direct student loan borrowing (excluding Parent PLUS). Federal Direct Loans - including Graduate PLUS - disbursed before July 1, 2026 count toward the $257,500 lifetime limit once a borrower becomes subject to the new rules.
Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, annual loan amounts will be prorated for students enrolled less than full-time, in proportion to credit-hour enrollment.
Interest is charged from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. Students may pay the interest while enrolled in school or allow it to accumulate and be added to the principal amount of the loan.
Eligible students must be enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours. However, students cannot borrow in excess of the cost of education at Cleveland State University minus any eligible financial aid, and the annual loan amount may be reduced through proration based on enrollment status.
Graduate Plus Loan Program
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), the Graduate PLUS Loan program is eliminated for new borrowers for terms beginning on or after July 1, 2026.
Legacy provision:
Graduate students who received a Federal Direct Loan in their current program of study at Cleveland State University prior to July 1, 2026, may continue to borrow under prior Graduate PLUS terms for up to three additional academic years, or until completion of the program, whichever occurs first. To remain eligible, students must be continuously enrolled in the same program of study at CSU; a break in enrollment, change of program, or change of institution will cause loss of legacy eligibility.
Lifetime aggregate limit upon loss of legacy eligibility: Once a borrower no longer qualifies for the legacy provision - due to expiration of the three-year window, a break in enrollment, a change of program, or transfer to another institution - the $257,500 federal student loan lifetime aggregate limit applies. All prior federal Direct Loan borrowing, including any Graduate PLUS loans disbursed before July 1, 2026, will count toward that lifetime limit. Borrowers near or above $257,500 in cumulative federal Direct Loan borrowing may be ineligible for additional federal student loans (Parent PLUS loans are excluded from this limit).
Students who do not qualify for the legacy provision should consider private educational loans or other funding sources to cover costs beyond the annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit. Information about private loan options is available from the Financial Aid Office.
Loan Disbursements
Direct Unsubsidized and private loan proceeds are applied to the student’s account. Graduate PLUS loan proceeds, where applicable under the legacy provision, are also applied to the student’s account.
Graduate Assistantships and Federal Financial Aid
The Financial Aid Office is required to include Graduate Assistantships and Tuition Waivers when calculating a student’s eligibility for financial aid (loans, grants and work-study). If you know that you are receiving tuition assistance and the amount that you are receiving is not included on your Financial Aid Award Notification, then please report the information to FAO@csuohio.edu. It is possible that students will receive an assistantship or waiver after financial aid funds have been accepted or released. If this happens, your financial aid will be re-evaluated and possibly adjusted, even if you have already received your funding for the semester.
Professional Judgment
Introduction
Professional judgment represents a key element in the student financial assistance delivery system-that is the capacity for personal intervention by the Financial Aid Office in cases that merit individual attention. In these cases, the student’s situation is reevaluated. The Student Aid Index (SAI) and components of the student’s financial information may be adjusted based on changes in the student’s income or other documented special circumstances, in accordance with guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education under the FAFSA Simplification Act.
Adjustments to Cost of Attendance
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is set each year based on tuition costs and related educational expenses. The COA is established based on federal guidelines. A student may appeal for an increase in the COA by submitting in writing their request and accompanying documentation supporting their request.
Circumstances that may merit a review include but are not limited to:
- special transportation expenses,
- special expenses related to a disability,
- dependent/elder care,
Documentation of additional or unusual costs will generally consist of signed statements and documentation of the expense. A statement from an individual with specific knowledge of the expense, receipts of purchases, or other items necessary to substantiate the claim should be submitted with the request.
Student Enrollment Changes that Can Reduce Financial Aid Eligibility
Introduction
There are three types of enrollment changes that can reduce a student’s financial aid eligibility after aid has been disbursed. These are:
- dropped courses - the course will not appear on the transcript,
- official withdrawal - withdrawal from all courses in a term (W grade),
- unofficial withdrawal - student does not earn any passing grades (passing grades are defined as an A, B, C, D, T, S) and the student has not withdrawn officially.
NOTE: Enrollment changes may affect a student’s eligibility for aid. Before adding or dropping classes, students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic adviser and All-in-1 Enrollment Services. Students must maintain a minimum of half-time (6 credit hours) in order to maintain Direct Unsubsidized loan eligibility. Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, federal loan amounts are also prorated based on enrollment status; reductions in credit-hour enrollment may reduce loan eligibility even when the student remains enrolled at least half-time. For detailed information regarding enrollment changes and the impact on your financial aid, visit the financial aid website.
Dropped Courses
When a course is dropped, the course will not appear on the student’s academic transcript. Drops occur during the published drop period.
Direct Unsubsidized loans: Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 or more hours) to be eligible for a Direct Unsubsidized loan. If the course drop results in a student being enrolled for less than 6 hours, all Direct Unsubsidized loan funds must be returned to the lender. Drops that reduce enrollment but leave the student at or above half-time may still trigger proration adjustments under OB3, which can result in a partial return of loan funds.
Federal Work Study: University regulations require that students be enrolled at least half-time (6 or more hours). If the course drop results in a student being enrolled for less than 6 hours, all FWS earnings must be transferred to university employment.
Official Withdrawal from the University
When a student requests and receives a “W” in all courses, she or he is considered to have officially withdrawn from the university. Students who withdraw prior to completing 60% of the term have not earned all of their federal financial aid and a Return of Funds calculation must be performed. The unearned portion of the aid (based on the percentage of the term remaining) is returned to the aid program.
If the return of the funds creates a balance due on the student’s account, the student will owe a balance to the university.
Unofficial Withdrawal from the University:
Students who stopped attending all of their classes prior to the end of the term and who do not receive ANY earned grades (A, B, C, D, T, S) are considered to be unofficial withdrawals. A percent of the aid used to pay direct educational costs (tuition, fees, room and board) must be returned to the aid program. If the return of the funds creates a balance due on the student’s account, the student will owe a balance to the university.
Retroactive Official Withdrawal from the University
If funds have been returned for a student as a result of an unofficial withdrawal, those funds cannot be reinstated, even if the student petitions for and receives a retroactive official withdrawal (all W grades).
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
Introduction
Students must achieve satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their degree in order to maintain eligibility for most types of financial aid. To maintain SAP students must meet the following three components: grade-point average, completion rate requirement, and maximum time frame for degree completion. Additionally, students must be eligible to continue in their program of study.
Satisfactory academic progress is evaluated at the end of each term for which the student is in attendance. Students who do not meet the grade-point average and completion rate requirements are given one term of financial aid warning. Failure to meet all the requirements (grade-point average, completion rate requirement, and maximum time frame for degree completion) at the end of the warning term will result in loss of federal financial aid, state and institutional need-based financial aid. Students who do not earn their degree within the specified time frame become ineligible for financial aid as soon as they reach the specified maximum time frame for their program of study.
Students may petition to have financial aid reinstated. See Regaining Eligibility and complete the SAP Petition for Financial Aid found at https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms
Grade-Point Average (GPA) Requirements
Graduate Students: All graduate students must:
- maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 and
- remain eligible to continue in their program of study at CSU. Students who are dismissed by the university or by their graduate college are ineligible for federal financial aid for the program from which they were dismissed.
Law Students: All law students must:
- maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 upon the completion of their first spring semester and all semesters of attendance thereafter, including summer.
Completion Rate Requirement
See Impact of Selected Grades on SAP Requirements regarding the treatment of incomplete grades, withdrawals, the absence of letter grades and the treatment of transfer credits in the measurement of Completion Rate Requirement.
Graduate and Law:
Students must successfully complete at least two-thirds of their attempted credit hours each term. Successful completion is defined as receiving a grade of A, B, C, D or S.
Multi-term courses, in which a “T” grade is assigned pending completion of the final term, are treated as being successfully completed during the initial term.
Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion
See Impact of Selected Grades on SAP Requirements regarding the treatment of incomplete grades, withdrawals, the absence of letter grades and the treatment of transfer credits in the measurement of Maximum Time Frame.
Graduate Students: must complete their degrees within the following time frames:
- Six years from the date of entry into the graduate college to complete the master’s degree.
- Six years from the date of entry into the doctoral program to complete doctoral studies, if the student entered the program with a master’s degree from another university or interrupted his/her studies after completing the master’s degree program at Cleveland State University.
- Ten years from the date of entry into the graduate college to complete a doctorate, if the student enrolls consecutively in the master’s and doctoral programs without interruption of one academic year following receipt of the master’s degree.
Law Students:
- Five years from date of entry into Law College to complete the JD program.
- Six years from date of entry, for students who take more than 43 credit hours as a part-time student, to complete the JD program.
- Eight years from initial matriculation as a dual degree student to complete the JD/MPA, JD/MUPD, JD/MBA, or JD/MAES program.
Impact of Selected Grades on SAP Requirements
The Financial Aid Office has specific policies defining the effect of incomplete grades, withdrawals, absence of assigned letter grades, and transfer credits in the measurement of completion rate and maximum time frame.
Incomplete Grades: Credit hours in which a student receives an “I” are included in the number of attempted hours but do not count as successfully completed hours.
Withdrawals: Credit hours in which a student receives a grade of “W” are included in the number of attempted hours but do not count as successfully completed hours.
Absence of an assigned letter grade: Credit hours in which a student receives a grade of I, U or W are included in the number of attempted hours, but do not count as successfully completed hours. Multi-term courses, in which a “T” grade is assigned pending completion of the final term, are treated as successfully completed during the initial term.
Transfer credits: Transfer credits are included in the total number of attempted hours for the measurement of maximum time frame.
Repeated hours: Hours for repeated courses and the initial hours for those courses are all included as attempted hours.
Academic Reassessment: The financial aid SAP measurement is always based on the grades and the completion rate of the student’s attempted hours, not the adjusted credit total that may result from academic reassessment.
Financial Aid Warning
Those students who were not on financial aid warning but who did not meet the GPA or completion rate requirements will be placed on financial aid warning for their next academic term. Their progress will be measured again at the end of the warning term.
Those students who were on financial aid warning and who did not meet the SAP GPA or completion rate requirements become ineligible for federal financial aid, as well as for state and institutional need-based financial aid. Such students may complete the SAP Petition for Financial Aid found at https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms. If the petition is approved, the student’s probationary period will be extended for one term and the student will be eligible to receive financial aid during the extended probationary term.
Loss of Eligibility
Students become ineligible for federal financial aid, as well as for state and institutional need-based financial aid, when:
- they fail to meet the GPA or completion rate requirements at the end of their warning term.
- they have attempted the maximum allowable credit hours for their program of study. (If a student reaches the maximum time frame during an award year, any aid that has been awarded for future terms will be canceled.)
- they are dismissed by the university or their graduate college.
Regaining Eligibility
A student who is ineligible for financial aid due to failure to make satisfactory academic progress during the warning term may complete the SAP Petition for Financial Aid found at https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms. If the petition is approved, the student’s probationary period will be granted for one term and the student will be eligible to receive financial aid during the extended probationary term.
A student who regains eligibility either by meeting the satisfactory academic progress standards or by approval of her/his petition for reinstatement may be eligible for Federal Work Study and Federal Direct Loans, beginning with the term in which they are determined to be eligible.
A student who has lost eligibility for financial aid, and who later attends school without receiving financial aid,may regain her/his eligibility by meeting the GPA and completion rate requirements as stated in the current Financial Aid SAP Policy.
Petition for Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility
A student who wishes to petition for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility, may submit a petition to the Financial Aid Office. In order to submit a petition, the student must complete the Petition for Reinstatement of Financial Aid (available at https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms) and upload documentation, as necessary. Students should clearly explain the mitigating circumstances that contributed to the failure to meet satisfactory academic progress.
Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment to meet with their academic adviser to discuss academic progress and to identify ways to improve their academic performance.
Petitioners will receive a response not more than four weeks after submitting the necessary information. If the petition is denied, the student will be responsible for all charges incurred as a result of the loss of federal and state need-based financial assistance.
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