CINCINNATI COLLEGE OF MORTUARY SCIENCE

FINANCIAL AID FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1:        I have just been admitted and want to apply for financial aid for my attendance at CCMS.  What do I need to do?

A1:         Congratulations!  Current information on financial aid is located at   https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-scholarships/overview/ .   You will need to file the appropriate Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at studentaid.gov in order to receive Federal and state sources of aid. 

Q2:        When should I apply for aid?

A2:         You should file the appropriate FAFSA as soon as you are aware of your interest in CCMS.  CCMS will not be able to make an award for you until you have submitted your confirmation deposit, but we may be able to estimate an award for you to give you a ballpark idea of your eligibility. 

At CCMS, the FAFSA covers a two-semester award year starting with your term of entry (also referred to as your cohort).  To receive aid beyond the first two semesters, you will need to reapply for aid using the appropriate FAFSA form at that time.

Example:   a student begins a degree program (AAS or BMS) at CCMS starting with Fall 2024.  The student files the 2024-25 FAFSA form and is awarded aid for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.  For Summer 2025 (and Fall 2025, if the student is in the BMS program), the student will need to file the 2025-26 FAFSA when it is available.  A student starting Spring 2025 would file the 2024-25 FAFSA to cover Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.  The student would reapply with the 2025-26 FAFSA for Fall 2025 (and Spring 2026, if the student is in the BMS program).

Q3:        What types of aid are available?

A3:         CCMS participates in Title IV aid programs; the programs are the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study, and Federal Direct Student Loans.  CCMS participates in the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) for eligible Ohio residents.  For other state programs, please check with your state higher education agency to determine if grants can be exported to other states, such as Ohio. 

CCMS also has a number of scholarships available for application.  Information is available at https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/types-of-available-aid/ .  You may also wish to pursue outside scholarships; you are welcome to do so, but please be careful when applying for outside awards as you do not want to fall victim to a scam.  You should never have to pay to apply for or receive a scholarship.  If you are awarded outside funds, you must notify the CCMS Financial Aid Office since outside awards must be considered when making your overall award.

If you receive outside funds, you should direct the payment to the CCMS Accounting Office for application to your student account and notify the CCMS Financial Aid Office of the award.

SPECIAL NOTE:  In the case of students who already have Bachelor’s Degrees or Master’s Degrees prior to attendance at CCMS, please refer to question Q6 in this list for explanation.

Q4:        How much aid can I receive?

A4:         CCMS uses the Financial Aid Cost of Attendance (COA) as a starting point for aid.  The COA includes actual tuition and fee costs billed by the school for the two-semester award as well as standard allowances for items such as books/supplies not included in tuition and fees, transportation, housing, meals, and miscellaneous costs that are not billed by the school but incurred by the student.  You can find current COA information at https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-scholarships/cost-of-attendance/ . 

Need-based awards are determined by using the COA minus the Student Aid Index (SAI) from the FAFSA form.  Non-need-based awards are based on award criteria, and total aid must not exceed the COA.  Awards are subject to program limits and may be a combination of need-based and non-need based funding. 

Any awards accepted by the student will be applied to tuition and fees first; if there is a remaining credit balance after all accepted awards are disbursed, the student will receive a credit balance refund to help offset other costs.

For a semester-by-semester breakdown of tuition and fee costs billed by CCMS, please see:   https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/tuition-and-fees/ .

Q5:        What if my aid does not cover my charges?

A5:         CCMS awards all aid at the maximum limits available to students.  There are times when aid resources cover some charges but not all of them.  If this situation occurs and the student needs additional funding to cover the charges, the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is available to students considered dependent on the FAFSA form.  This is a loan that the parent would apply for on behalf of the student; the Parent PLUS Loan is limited to a maximum of the COA minus awarded aid.  Parent PLUS Loan proceeds can be used to assist with housing, food, transportation, and other costs if needed.  The parent is the borrower for this type of loan.  Parent PLUS Loan information as well as  online credit check and Master Promissory Note (MPN) completion is located at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/parent .

As a last-resort option, private alternative loans are available to students who meet the requirements.  Like Parent PLUS Loans, the student can apply for up to a maximum of the COA minus awarded aid.  Students must meet the credit requirements of private alternative loans, and lenders often require creditworthy cosigners for this type of loan.  Unlike other types of aid, the student must find a lender, apply for and meet all of the application requirements set forth by the lender, and then CCMS will be notified to certify the loan.  Although CCMS cannot recommend one private alternative loan lender over another, helpful information and a list of some of the lenders can be found at https://finaid.org/loans/ .  Please keep in mind that private loan lenders make their own rules; eligibility requirements, interest rates, repayment terms, etc., will vary from lender to lender.

Q6:        I already have a degree from another school.  How does this affect my aid at CCMS?

A6:         If you have an Associate’s Degree already before attending CCMS, you will still be eligible for all types of aid.  Prior loan borrowing and Pell Grant awards do impact the annual and lifetime limits for these programs, so it is possible that you may have less than full eligibility for your attendance at CCMS.  Your FAFSA form results will tell you if this is an issue, and CCMS will also notify you of specifics if this is the case.

If you have a Bachelor’s Degree before entering CCMS, you will only be eligible for Federal loans and possibly Federal Work Study but no other types of aid since Title IV regulations and Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) regulations prohibit students with prior Bachelor’s Degrees from receiving grants.  Students with prior Bachelor’s Degrees will also be subject to undergraduate annual and lifetime loan limits; prior borrowing will affect the annual and lifetime maximum and could potentially limit the amounts available for attendance at CCMS.

Students who hold Master’s Degrees before entering CCMS are subject to undergraduate loan limits since CCMS is an undergraduate institution.  The Financial Aid Office will calculate your loan eligibility and notify you if there is an issue.

SPECIAL NOTE:  In the case of students who already have Bachelor’s Degrees or Master’s Degrees prior to attendance at CCMS, the FAFSA must be filed as an undergraduate with a prior degree.  For the question asking if you hold a bachelor’s degree or have completed the requirements for one prior to your semester of entry at CCMS, you must answer YES if this is true.  For the question asking if you are working on a Master’s or Doctoral program at the beginning of the academic year of your entry, you must answer NO since CCMS is an undergraduate institution and you are applying to receive aid as an undergraduate.

Q7:        Does CCMS participate in Veterans Benefits/GI Bill/VA/etc.?

A7:         Yes, CCMS participates in all types of Veterans Benefits.  Please contact the CCMS School Certifying Official (SCO), the Registrar, at registrar@ccms.edu or (513) 761-2020 for more information and application procedures.