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2022-23 RESIDENTIAL COST ESTIMATOR

For your convenience, we have developed this interactive worksheet to help you plan your college expenses. Full-time fixed billable charges for tuition and student benefit fees are included. Add residence hall/meal plan and insurance charges, if applicable. Please note that insurance charges are current estimates, exact amounts may vary. Books are not included in billable charges, although you may want to budget $200 -$600 per semester as an estimate. If you are attending one semester only, take 1/2 the fixed charges but include the entire insurance charges, if needed. The difference between the charges and aid is the amount owed to the University. A negative number indicates you may receive a refund. For questions regarding your financial aid awards, contact the Financial Aid Office at 800-755-5200, ext. 4.

This is an estimate only. Actual amounts may vary due to loan fees, course fees, tuition rates, etc.

Click on an item's name for a detailed description. Annual Cost Fall Cost Spring Cost
Tuition Actual costs and awards will vary if enrolled less than full-time
Books / Supplies
Student Fees
Residence Hall
Meal Plan
Health Insurance
Other Costs
Total Estimate of Charges
Refer to your award letter for the following information
Scholarships
Grants
Subsidized Stafford Loan
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
Plus / Private Loan
Total Estimated Financial Aid
Balance Due to Ottawa University
* Actual costs and awards will vary if enrolled less than full-time

Schedule a Meeting

Our dedicated Family Financial Planner is here to assist you with options for making your educational goals a reality. While every family's needs are different, we ask that you plan a 30-minute timeframe to discuss your options. Depending on your need, the meeting may be longer or shorter, but 30-minutes is our average meeting time.

To schedule an appointment, please complete the form below and someone will contact you soon to finalize your meeting time.

Include full school name (i.e. High School, Community College, etc.)
Have you completed your FAFSA?:
Have you completed your FAFSA?
Meeting Type:
Meeting Type
1st Choice Meeting Day:
1st Choice Meeting Day
2nd Choice Meeting Day:
2nd Choice Meeting Day
1st Choice Meeting Time:
1st Choice Meeting Time
2nd Choice Meeting Time:
2nd Choice Meeting Time
3rd Choice Meeting Time:
3rd Choice Meeting Time

3 Steps

Follow the 3 Steps below to start your financial aid application.

 

Step 1: Complete the FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA is the primary application required of all students before receiving Federal Financial Aid.  This is a FREE application and should take about 30 minutes to complete.

During the application process, you may be presented with the opportunity to import your Federal Tax Return information directly from the I.R.S.  We encourage you to use this functionality since it will improve the accuracy of your data and may help to reduce the amount of additional information you will need to submit.

The FAFSA is good for the period July 1 through June 30 each year and is available to be completed beginning on October 1. The tax information being used on the application is from two years previous. For example:  If you are going to be enrolled on/after July 1, 2022, the tax information that will be used is from your 2020 return.

The FAFSA can be completed by going to:  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa  Be sure to complete the FAFSA that corresponds to your anticipated enrollment.

To view a helpful guide on completing the FAFSA:  "Completing the FAFSA vis Mobile App"

To view a helpful video on creating an FSA ID, click on this link:  How to Create an FSA ID.


Ottawa University's Federal School Code: 001937

Be sure to electronically sign the application with your FSA ID. Failure to do so will create delays in the processing of your financial aid.

If you don’t already have a FSA ID, you can create one here.

If you have a prior FSA PIN, you can link your old PIN to your new FSA ID and this will expedite the authentication process.

*IRS Data Retrieval

You are going to be prompted to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool while completing the FAFSA. If eligible to use this tool, please do so since this should help to reduce the amount of additional information that we may need to collect later on.  

Hints for using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool:

  • Have your Federal Tax Return nearby
  • Use your exact mailing address as it appears on your Federal Tax Return
  • Do not change any of the data after importing it to your FAFSA
  • If you had a retirement plan rollover (as indicated in the left margin of your Federal Tax Return near lines 15 and 16), please do not change any of your IRS data and be sure to submit a copy of your 1099-R to us so we can make the appropriate adjustment on your behalf.

You will want to request a Federal Tax Transcript and have it available in the event that you are selected for a process called “Verification”. You can request a tax transcript by:

Online request:

  • Go to http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript and select "Get Transcript Online"
  • Answer all of the questions and create an account
  • Select "Higher Education/Student Aid" as the reason for requesting the transcript
  • Select the appropriate year under the "Return Transcript" section
  • Print and submit the Tax Return Transcript to Ottawa University

Telephone request:

  • Call the IRS automated attendant at 1-800-908-9946
  • Select the appropriate language
  • Input Social Security Number and verify
  • Input the numbers in the street address used for your tax return
  • Select option 2 for tax return transcript
  • Input the appropriate tax year (see FAFSA cut off dates above)
    • Tax filers can expect a paper IRS Tax Return Transcript to be mailed within 5-10 days

Paper request

  • Download IRS Form 4506T-EZ.
    • This process is slower because of mail time to/from the IRS.

 

Step 2: Calculate Your Costs

  • Using the information from your Financial Aid Award Letter and this Calculator, you can determine your out of pocket expenses and decide if you need to take a student loan.
  • Once you know the amount of your loan, you can use the Student Loan Repayment Calculator to get an idea of what your monthly payments will be.
  • An additional Net Price Calculator is available for students to better understand the full cost of attendance.

 

Step 3: Student Loan Applications

Complete the Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note

  • Sign in with your Federal Student Aid PIN
  • Select "Complete Entrance Counseling"
  • Upon completion you will be prompted to “Complete a Master Promissory Note”.
    • Be sure to choose Subsidized/Unsubsidized when selecting what type of Direct Loan you would like to receive.

Complete the Following Student Loan Applications

Note: MyOttawa portal access required; you will be asked to login to begin each application. 

***For assistance with completing the online loan request and loan worksheet forms, please watch this short video.

All students must complete both of these forms each time a new loan is being certified. These documents provide us with the information needed to certify your loan.

If you need assistance, or do not yet have a MyOttawa user ID and password, please contact your Finance Advisor.

Additional information for students and parents interested in other types of student loans:

FAQs

Financial Aid Questions

The Federal Direct Loan is a type of financial aid. Students must complete the federal grant application (FAFSA) before eligibility for a loan can be determined

Yes. Having bad credit does not prevent students from participating in the federal financial aid programs (except the Federal PLUS Program).

Whether aid is repaid depends on the type of funding received. Loans need to be repaid and grants and scholarships do not.

Yes, students must apply for financial aid every year. If their financial circumstances change, students may get more or less aid. Renewal of the financial aid package also depends on a student making satisfactory academic progress toward a certificate or degree, such as achieving a minimum GPA.

Yes. If a student receives any kind of financial assistance, it must be reported to the Department of Financial Aid. The university will review his or her financial aid package to determine if eligibility for federal funds has changed.

There are three web-accessible applications needed to apply for financial aid:

It could be affected. Students should consult their Financial Aid Coordinator before making any changes to their enrollment status.

There are many types of assistance available. However, income is only one of many factors involved in determining aid eligibility. Students should not assume they are not eligible until they have completed the FAFSA. Most students are at least eligible to participate in the Direct Unsubsidized loan program.

The award letter is mailed to students after we have determined eligibility for aid. It will indicate the type of aid students are eligible for and the approximate disbursement dates and amounts for these funds.

Verification is the process whereby the school is required to review the information provided on the FAFSA for accuracy. The federal government randomly selects students for this process or a student may get selected because of conflicting or unusual information provided on the FAFSA. If selected for verification, the student (and parents, if applicable) will be required to submit a verification worksheet and a copy of the appropriate year tax transcript.

Much of the information required for verification can only be found on the tax transcript.

Questions About Grants

Undergraduate students should submit a Federal Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) via the Department of Education website.

The maximum annual PELL Grant is set by Congress and is determined in part by the student's enrollment status throughout the year and the output results from the FAFSA. Students should contact the Department of Financial Aid for more information.

No, the amounts of a PELL Grant disbursement are determined on a term-by-term basis. Unused PELL Grant funds at the end of the fiscal year (7/1 – 6/30) are lost.

In addition to the Federal Pell Grant program, there are a few other grant programs available to students attending Ottawa University:

  • SEOG: This is a supplemental grant program only available to undergraduate students attending the traditional college in Ottawa, KS. Students must submit their FAFSA by the March 15th deadline to be considered for these funds. The student does not need to do anything further since the Department of Financial Aid will determine which students are eligible.
  • TEACH: This is a forgivable loan program available to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in specific programs of study at a limited number of Ottawa University campuses.
  • State Grants: Some states (e.g. Arizona and Kansas) offer grants/scholarships to students attending Ottawa University.

Questions about Loans

Students may contact his or her lender or the Department of Financial Aid. In addition, there are various calculators available to help students determine what their loan repayment will be.

The lender will provide Disclosure Statements showing details of current loans and reflecting overall indebtedness but the National Student Loan Data System should be the best source of information pertaining to all of your student loan debts.

Like all other types of financial aid, the funds will be applied directly to the student’s university account. If a credit balance is created, the excess funds will be issued to the parent.

Students may be eligible. They should contact the Department of Financial Aid to further discuss.

The parent has the option to apply with an endorser who would also be subject to a credit check. The parent may also appeal the credit decision. Absent either of these alternatives, the student can be treated as an independent student for loan purposes only and receive additional Unsubsidized loan funds.

Failure to repay loan(s) can have serious consequences. Not only will it affect credit, but a student's wages could be garnished, tax returns withheld and eligibility lost to participate in any further federal financial aid programs.

A student who is eligible for a deferment will not have to make loan payments during the deferment period. Students who are enrolled at least half-time are eligible for an in-school deferment. The University Registrar updates student enrollment statuses each term via the National Clearinghouse.

Students are allowed a grace period of six months before entering repayment. The grace period begins once the student leaves school or drops to less than half time status.

The federal government pays the interest on a subsidized loan while the student is in school at least half time and (with some exceptions) during the grace period. The student can either pay the unsubsidized interest quarterly while in school (recommended) or can choose to capitalize the interest payment and have the interest added to the loan principal.

The interest rate on Federal loans can/will vary based on the type of loan and when the loan is taken. Please contact your lender or the Department of Financial Aid for more clarification regarding the rates on your loan(s).

The entrance and exit interviews are the student's opportunity to learn about his or her rights and responsibilities as Federal Direct Loan borrowers.

Repayment on a PLUS loan begins 60 days after the final disbursement is made. Parents can apply for a deferment while the student is in school. Be careful about asking for this since interest will continue to accrue during the deferment period. The accrued interest will increase the size of the loan, especially if the deferment is for an extended period of time.

All federal student loans are funded through the U.S. Department of Education.  Private loans are available through a variety of lenders and the student can select whichever lender provides the best product to meet his/her needs.

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