Scholarships & Financial Aid

Scholarships & Financial Aid

The primary sources of financial aid for undergraduate students include scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans.

Financial Aid Applications

ScholarshipUniverse is a single source for Ohio State and external scholarships. As you answer questions, ScholarshipUniverse finds relevant scholarship opportunities for you, simplifying the search so you can focus on applying for more scholarships to help pay for your education and avoid taking on debt. Students are encouraged to visit ScholarshipUniverse frequently as new opportunities are always being added.

Students must submit the FAFSA annually for consideration for need-based scholarships and grants, work-study, and student loans. File the FAFSA by Ohio State’s priority date of February 1 to receive priority aid consideration.

Engineering Special Fee
The College of Engineering, which includes the Knowlton School received approval to create a new “Engineering Special Fee” of $4,000. This replaced the existing program fee, which has not increased in nearly a decade, during in 2022 – 2023 academic year. The new fee will remain the same for all four years a student is enrolled as part of the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee. The fee will fund acquisition and upkeep of technology and equipment in engineering education laboratories, financial aid, and recruitment of faculty in a highly competitive market. College of Engineering students have paid an additional fee since 2007. Increasing the fee will support student academic success by helping to:

  • Hire more professors, lowering the student-faculty ratio.
  • Modernize classrooms and technology.
  • Enable more academic and career advisors to help meet the demand of more students.
  • Meet increasing STEM job and workforce demand in Ohio by hiring more faculty and advisors, which can lead to producing more engineering graduates.

The increased fee will:

  • Take effect in Autumn semester 2022.
  • Be paid by semester; $2,000 per semester of enrollment.
    • Engineering students enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 will continue to pay $590 per semester.
    • Pell-eligible students will receive financial assistance from the College of Engineering to offset the amount of the fee increase.
  • Impact in-state and out-of-state first-year undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and transfer students who were first-year undergraduates at another university in Autumn 2022 or later.
    • Current students are grandfathered in under the existing fee structure.
  • Not apply to incoming students during academic year 2022 – 2023 at any Ohio State regional campus.
  • Be pro-rated by credit hour for part-time students.

Knowlton School Scholarships

The Knowlton School Scholarship Application is housed on ScholarshipUniverse. Scholarship selection is based on specific scholarship criteria, academic performance, and/or financial need.

The application cycle starts in early December and closes in mid-April.

Incoming first year students should submit the Knowlton School Scholarship Application on ScholarshipUniverse by Ohio State’s February 1 priority date to be considered for limited, competitive scholarship opportunities. Incoming first year scholarship recipients are typically notified the first week of March.

Continuing students are also encouraged to apply by Ohio State’s priority date of February 1 to receive priority consideration. Continuing student scholarship recipients should expect notification in late July for the upcoming academic year.

Many of the scholarships are one-time awards; some awards may be renewed.

See a full list of Knowlton’s Endowed Scholarships

The Knowlton Access Fund has been established to support initiatives that actively contribute to a more diverse and inclusive student body. The fund provides emergency or interim financial assistance to students who face unforeseen expenses or who lack resources to meet expenses after exhausting other forms of financial aid.

 

Helpful Hints

  • The FAFSA opens October 1 annually and holds a priority date of February 1. It is not required, but strongly encouraged for every student.
  • The College of Engineering Scholarship Application opens early December and will close on April 1, however, submitting by the February 1 priority date is the only way to ensure you are considered for all opportunities.
  • You can submit the scholarship application as soon as you have an Ohio State Username (details to activate your username at my.osu.edu are provided after you submit your admission application) but the application is not first come, first served. Initial scholarship review for freshman will start February 1 and conclude by March 15. 
  • On ScholarshipUniverse, start with the questions first. Each question is associated with a specific scholarship. Completing all the questions is the only way to ensure you are applying for the maximum opportunities available to you. Take a break if needed but make sure to finish those questions.
  • A few questions may be similar to others on ScholarshipUniverse. Don’t skip them! Again, each question is directly linked to an award. Skipping could result in a missed opportunity. If a question not applicable to you, select the “N/A” option.
  • A personal statement is required. It may be beneficial to compose in MS Word and copy and paste to your application. The essay should be well organized, concise, and provide relevant information not already included in your application or provide further explanation of information elsewhere on the application.
  • Think about how you can make your application unique. Most applicants will highlight why they started to pursue a career in engineering (love of LEGO® from a young age, engineers within their family that have inspired them, their performance in and enjoyment of challenging math and science classes, etc.), however, students with outstanding applications provide detailed and specific examples from recent experiences that show evidence of their ability to be successful in the College of Engineering at Ohio State.

Travel Scholarships

Travel scholarships may be available to students who participate in Knowlton-based travel programs. Travel scholarships are applied to a student’s account for the term in which the program’s credits are earned. Additional information and the Global Education Scholarship Application is available through the Global Engineering website.

Learn more about Knowlton's travel courses

Learn more about the ARTA Program

Architecture Research Travel Awards

The Knowlton School's Architecture Research Travel Awards (ARTA) program was established to encourage independent travel and research initiatives of up to 30 days by Knowlton students from all degree programs. The ARTA program is made possible by generous support from the Columbus Foundation. In the fall semester following completion of their projects, ARTA winners present their work at the School.

To qualify for participation in the program, students must be a US citizen and be able to provide 25 percent matching funds for their travel. Students also must make a public presentation at the school about their summer research experience during the fall semester following their travels.

For additional travel funding, see the Office of International Affairs' Undergraduate Student Grants and Scholarships.

Contact

Need more information? Please contact:
 
Jessica Baer-Graves
Student Services Manager
614-292-1012
baer-graves.1@osu.edu

 

College of Engineering Scholarships
True Carmicle and Kelly Zamaripa, Scholarship Program Managers
614-688-8074
eng-coe-scholarships@osu.edu