External awards, such as Pell Grants, federal grants, state grants, or outside scholarships, are usually the first piece of the aid package. Grants do not need to be repaid. It is crucial that you apply for all outside scholarships for which you may be eligible. See your high school counselor to find out about possible sources of outside scholarship funding, or visit our link to Scholarship Search Strategies.

Federal Pell Grant - A federal grant awarded to undergraduate students with a high amount of financial need.

Academic Competitiveness Grant - A federal grant program that awards up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to full-time students who are U.S citizens, receiving a Federal Pell Grant, and who had successfully completed a rigorous high school program, as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. Second year students must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.

National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant - A federal grant program that awards up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are U.S. citizens, receiving a Federal Pell Grant, and are enrolled in an eligible field of study. The student must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.

• TEACH Grant requires that student must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. A TEACH Grant recipient must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which the TEACH Grant was received. IMPORTANT: If a student fails to complete this teaching obligation, all amounts of the TEACH Grants that were received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. This loan plus all accrued interest must be repaid to the U.S. Department of Education. Interest will be charged from the date the grant(s) was disbursed.


• A student must complete a Teach Grant Agreement to Serve each year to receive a TEACH Grant. For information about the high-need fields and schools serving low-income students, eligibility requirements, grant conditions, and to obtain the service agreement, see www.teachgrant.ed.gov.
  

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) - A federal grant awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Priority in awarding SEOG funds is given to students who are Pell Grant recipients.

Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) - The Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), formerly the Ohio Instructional Grant (OIG) is a state grant for Ohio residents with financial need. The Ohio College Opportunity Grant requires that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be submitted by October 1 each year. The grant will range from $300 to $2,496 depending on the student's financial need. Students enrolled at the Oxford campus who are receiving an OCOG award and file their FAFSA by Miami's priority filing date will also be eligible for a Miami grant for the same amount as their OCOG award.

Ohio Instructional Grant (OIG) - The Ohio Instructional Grant (OIG) is a state grant for Ohio residents with financial need. The Ohio Instructional Grant Program is being phased out, and will eventually be replaced with the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, students who have attended college in prior years will be eligible for the Ohio Instructional Grant rather than the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. The Ohio Instructional Grant requires that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be submitted by October 1 each year. The grant will range from $174 to $2,190 depending on the student's financial need.

Pennsylvania State Grant (PHEAA) - A state grant for Pennsylvania residents with financial need enrolled at least half time. The Pennsylvania State Grant requires that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be submitted by May 1 each year. The amount is set at $300 per semester for Pennsylvania residents attending Ohio schools.

Rhode Island State Grant Program - A state grant for Rhode Island residents with financial need, enrolled at least half time. The grant can be used during the fall and spring semesters for a total of four years. The Rhode Island State Grant requires that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be submitted by March 1 each year. The amount ranges from $250 to $1400, depending on financial need.

Vermont Grant - A state grant for Vermont residents with financial need, enrolled at least half time. The grant can be used during the fall and spring semesters for a total of ten semesters. The Vermont State Grant requires that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be submitted by March 1 each year. The amount ranges from $500 to $900, depending on financial need.

Study Abroad Airfare Grant - Beginning fall 2007, eligible students with financial need may receive a university grant up to $600 for their study abroad airline ticket and could receive the remainder of their ticket price in an interest free university loan. Students must attend full time during either the fall or spring semester in a study abroad program. For more information and the requirements for this grant, see Financial Aid for Study Abroad.

SCAM ALERT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: Someone is impersonating a U.S. Department of Education official and is offering students grants in place of their loans for a processing fee. This is a scam, there is no ED program to replace loans with grants and there is no processing fee to obtain Title IV grants from the Department of Education. Students should never provide their bank account or credit card information over the phone unless they initiated the call and trust the company they are calling. For information about preventing scams visit the Federal Student Aid website.