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Otis College participates in a variety of federal and state aid programs. The Financial Aid Application Guide provides important information regarding available funding options and the application process. The Student Financial Services staff is accessible to assist Otis College students and families with choosing the most beneficial funding options. Based on the most recent data, 91% of Otis College students receive institutional financial aid.
The Department of Education has announced that the redesigned and streamlined 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will go live by December 31st, 2023. Please refer to the Department of Education FAFSA status updates and other resources to better prepare for the new FAFSA application process. Please be advised that the Department of Education will not provide information from the submitted FAFSA forms to schools until the end of January 2024. Students will not be able to update and make corrections to their submitted FAFSA form until the end of January 2024. Otis will begin processing aid offers and send notifications as soon as we receive Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) from the Department of Education.
Students who have experienced hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic or any other special circumstances can schedule an appointment to discuss their situation with an SFS Counselor. Additionally, students may submit the Institutional Appeal at www.otis.edu/appeal to adjust their financial aid eligibility and be considered for additional aid.
When to Apply
New students: We recommend you apply for financial aid as early as possible even though financial aid packages will not be offered until you are officially admitted to Otis College of Art and Design.
Please note: Students may apply for financial aid for the 2023-2024 award year any time up to June 30, 2024 (if attending Summer 2024). The Financial Aid Office may process aid for a given semester no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester. Keep in mind that the financial aid application process may take a few weeks.
Continuing students: The Financial Aid Application priority deadline for Fall 2023 is May 1, 2023.
Renewal Process: Financial aid is not automatically renewed. New federal application and required documents must be submitted each year.
How to Apply
A Financial Aid Application includes the following:
The submitted Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for domestic students and the CSS Profile for new international students. Students need to enter the Otis College code: 001251 in order to receive financial aid from the college. The following online resources are availble to assist students with completing their FAFSA: 7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the 2023–24 FAFSA® Form, Filling Out the FAFSA Form (by Student Aid), How to Fill Out the FAFSA Form video (by the Department of Education), Video Tutorial for Completing the FAFSA (by AIE).
Once all required documentation is received, the Student Financial Services (SFS) Office will offer you financial aid based on your eligibility. An award letter providing guidance for accepting, reducing, or declining offered awards will be emailed to your Otis email address. If you are a first-time Otis College loan borrower, you will be required to complete a Master Promissory Note and an Entrance Counseling at www.studentaid.gov prior to receiving your first federal loan disbursement.
When completing your FAFSA online, you are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
After the FAFSA is submitted, Otis College will electronically receive your FAFSA record. Students and applicants will be notified regarding any additional paperwork if required. All missing documents will be listed on the student’s Dashboard under “Financial Aid Requirements” at my.otis.edu.
If your file is selected for verification, you may be required to submit:
IRS Tax Return Transcript (and your spouse's, if married). To request an IRS Transcript, visit the IRS website, call 1-800-829-1040, or visit a local IRS office in person.
Eligibility
There are eligibility requirements that apply to federal and state financial aid programs offered at Otis College .
Citizenship: Students must be one of the following:
- U.S. citizen or national
- U.S. permanent resident
- Citizen of certain Pacific Islands (the Freely Associated States)
- Other eligible non-citizen
Enrollment: Students must be enrolled full time (BFA ≥ 12 units, MFA ≥ 9 units) for maximum awards: Students must be enrolled at least half time to be eligible for federal student loans ((BFA ≥ 6 units, MFA ≥ 4 units). Otis scholarships require full time enrollment (12 units).
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined in the Otis College Catalog - The Hoot. The SAP is evaluated at the end of each academic year. If one or all SAP standards are not met, the student is disqualified from receiving federal financial aid. To regain eligibility to receive financial aid, the student has to appeal in writing by submitting the Appeal Form listed on the Dashboard. The Otis College SAP standards, measurements, warning, suspension and appeal information are available for review here.
Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID)
Your FSA ID is your username and password that is used to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites including the FAFSA. Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. Go to https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm to register for your FSA ID. Watch the How to Create an FSA ID video tutorial created by the Department of Education to assist you with the FSA ID process.
To follow up on the status of your submitted FAFSA, access http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and click on "check my submitted FAFSA." You can view your processed data, make corrections, and request a duplicate Student Aid Report. Contact the Otis College Student Financial Services Office prior to making any corrections.