Financial Assistance
Financial aid eligibility differs for each student and is affected by personal circumstances as well as Federal, State, and Institutional policies and compliance regulations. The USAO Financial Aid Office is available and encourages contact regarding any questions. USAO Financial Aid complies with the Institutional Equal Opportunities policy, as well as all other current Institutional, Federal, and State policies.
Office contact information is as follows: financialaid@usao.edu; 405-574-1251, 405-574-1240, or 405-574-1353. The Financial Aid Office is in room 112 of Troutt Hall. Normal office hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday.
Financial aid notices are sent to student email accounts. To receive information by mail, the student must opt-in for mail only correspondence. This includes aid offer availability, missing documentation requests, Satisfactory Academic Progress information, and all other types of financial aid correspondence. Financial aid offers and application status information are available in USAO Self-Service, as well as the ability to accept or decline federal student loan offers. Missing documentation upload should be made available soon.
The financial aid offer represents the student’s current financial aid package, and includes known federal, state, institutional, and outside aid sources. The financial aid offer also includes a breakdown of aid according to the type of assistance: grant/gift, loan, and/or work-study. Potential direct and indirect costs are also included in the aid offer. The aid offer is not a bill for enrollment and is intended to assist the student in planning for expenses.
All aid is subject to change. Reasons include, but are not limited to, changes in federal, state, and institutional funding, enrollment level, residency status, the receipt of outside scholarships, change in financial standing, academic or program status, and failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by USAO Students should report any expected assistance from outside sources not already reflected on the aid offer to the Financial Aid Office. Any form of financial assistance provided to the student from USAO must also be included in the aid package. This includes gift cards or financial prizes or awards.
FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)
The Financial Aid Office must receive valid results of the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before federal aid is determined. If selected for verification, those requirements must be complete before any type of federal aid and some state aid, such as OTAG and Oklahoma’s Promise, is available. FAFSA verification is the process used by the USAO Financial Aid Office and the Department of Education to resolve conflicting information, and to make sure the information reported on the FAFSA is both accurate and complete. This process ensures that eligible students receive the financial aid they are entitled to, and ensures eligibility reflects accurate information.
Upon completion of verification, usually within 1-5 business days, notification of aid offer availability goes to the student email address, and is available for review at USAO Self-Service. USAO admission approval is also required. Students who do not complete the FAFSA and/or required verification processes by the end of the term for which they are applying for aid are not guaranteed aid eligibility. If USAO Financial Aid makes corrections to a student’s FAFSA, in compliance with the Department of Education, a list of changes made is sent to the student email address
The various types of assistance available are described in the “FEDERAL, STATE AND INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS” section of this catalog. Submit the FAFSA corresponding to the academic year of attendance at studentaid.gov. USAO’s federal school code is 003167.
Each new year’s FAFSA application process is scheduled to open on October 1 of the year prior to the next academic year.
REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL AND/OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Students with reductions in household income or other special circumstances regarding income should contact the Financial Aid Office regarding possible income adjustments, made possible through approvals of “professional judgement”. Students who do not meet the Department of Education’s independent student criteria, but who no longer have parental contact, should also contact the Financial Aid Office regarding a possible “dependency override”. Specific criteria and supporting documentation are required for professional judgement and dependency override approval. This approval is solely the decision of the Director of the Financial Aid Office. The forms to request professional judgements and dependency overrides are available by contacting the Financial Aid Office. These forms and more information regarding these request options are also online at https://usao.edu/financial-aid/professional-judgement.html.
COST OF ATTENDANCE (COA)
Cost of attendance (COA) is the estimated total cost the student may expect to incur during the period of enrollment. The COA includes, but is not limited to, 1) Tuition and fees. 2) Food. 3) Housing. 4) Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment. 4) Transportation. 5) Miscellaneous personal expenses and other items allowed under Section 472 of the HEA.
USAO uses averages to determine the amount it will reasonably cost a student to attend during one academic year (fall and spring). Housing and food plan costs are determined by a student’s living expenses as either on or off campus. Tuition and student fees are based on the USAO block rate. The block rate applies to fall and spring full time enrollment in 12-18 credit hours. Students taking more than 18 total credit hours will be billed for the additional tuition and fees associated with the additional enrollment.
Students are grouped in COA categories based on:
• Residency status (in-state/out-of-state)
• Housing status (on/off campus/with parents)
• Enrollment status
USAO cost of attendance is used to determine eligibility for financial aid and includes direct and indirect costs. DIRECT costs are normally related to a student’s USAO bill for enrollment. IN-DIRECT costs are other expenses not usually paid to USAO but are still expected to be incurred. All actual final costs will vary based on the student’s individual choices and personal needs. A detailed breakdown of each year’s cost of attendance can be found on the USAO financial aid page.
If you have any questions about the cost of attendance, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@usao.edu.