I have already submitted my FAFSA application. Is there a
separate application to apply for OTAG?
No. Students are automatically considered for OTAG when they
submit their FAFSA and report Oklahoma as their state of legal
residence. In order to receive OTAG, a student's financial
information as reported on the FAFSA must meet OTAG eligibility
requirements, and the student must attend an
OTAG eligible school.
What is the income cutoff to be eligible for OTAG?
There isn't an "income cutoff" for OTAG. Financial eligibility
for OTAG is based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The
EFC is a number that is calculated by the FAFSA, and it represents
the dollar amount that the family would be able to contribute to
paying the student's college costs over the course of the year. The
EFC is determined by a formula that takes into consideration family
size, number of students in college, assets and other things in
addition to income, so we can't tell by income alone whether a
student will be eligible.
OTAG does have an EFC cutoff. Currently, a student must have an
EFC of 1700 or below to be awarded OTAG. Your EFC is printed on
your Student Aid Report (SAR) that is sent to you by the U.S.
Department of Education after they process your FAFSA.
What is the deadline to apply for OTAG?
The application deadline for OTAG can vary from year to year.
The deadline will be set once OTAG has been able to determine the
number of eligible applicants and the amount of funds available to
be awarded for the year. Beginning with the 2017-18 FAFSA, students
are encouraged to apply as soon as possible after Oct. 1 for best
consideration. OTAG receives many more eligible applications than
can be awarded, and the FAFSA application date is used to
prioritize which students will receive an award. How early you
apply can make the difference in whether you receive an OTAG
award.
How will I know if I have been awarded an OTAG grant?
OTAG does not notify students of their awards. Instead, your
school will be the one to notify you if you will receive OTAG. They
may do this by including an estimated OTAG grant in your financial
aid award letter or by some other method. If you think you're
eligible and you've received your award letter but it doesn't
mention OTAG, ask the financial aid office at your school if you
will be awarded, and if not, why you are not eligible.
I received OTAG last year. Do I have to apply again to continue
to receive it?
Yes. A student must submit an application every year that they
wish to receive OTAG, and this is true for most (if not all)
financial aid programs that use the FAFSA. In order to continue
receiving OTAG, you must continue to meet all of the eligibility
and awarding requirements each year (EFC, application date,
satisfactory academic progress, etc.).
My school told me I would receive an OTAG grant this semester.
Classes started last week and I already have my Pell grant, but I
don't have my OTAG funds yet. Is something wrong?
Probably not. While some schools coordinate the disbursement of
Pell and OTAG funds, other schools disburse them on different
dates. A school must verify eligibility information for each
student that receives OTAG there. Because of this, many schools
prefer to wait until after the Add/Drop period so that they can
accurately report the number of credit hours a student is enrolled
in, as well as other information that can affect the student's
award. Your school may be in the process of verifying your
eligibility information. However, if more time passes and you still
have not heard anything from the financial aid office about the
disbursement of your award, contact your school's financial aid
office and ask about an estimated disbursement date, or if there
are any unresolved issues with your financial aid file that need to
be addressed.
I got OTAG last year. I filled out a FAFSA again for this year,
but I haven't heard anything about OTAG this year. Am I still
eligible?
Eligibility for OTAG awards is determined each year, so just
because you received an award last year doesn't automatically mean
you will receive one this year. There are several things that can
affect whether you receive an award. For example, if you submitted
your FAFSA application later this year than last and your
application date now falls after this year's cutoff date, this year
you will not receive an OTAG award. Also, if the information on
your FAFSA has changed from last year, your EFC may not now be
within the range where you are eligible to receive OTAG. If you are
not making SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) as defined by your
school, you will not be eligible. If you entered anything other
than "OK" for state of legal residence on your FAFSA, this could be
preventing you from being considered until this problem is
corrected. Also, if there is a problem with the information on your
FAFSA -- some information is missing or incorrect -- or if your
financial aid office is waiting for you to provide additional
information, this may be holding up your award. It is important
that you contact your financial aid office if you have any
questions about your eligibility, so that any problems that exist
can be resolved as soon as possible.
We are going to need a lot of financial aid to be able to pay
for my college, and I am hoping I will be eligible for an OTAG
grant. What can I do to maximize my chance of getting OTAG?
The most important thing for you to do is to submit your FAFSA
application early! OTAG usually receives many more eligible
applications than can be awarded, and the FAFSA application date is
used to prioritize which students will receive an award. Beginning
with the 2017-18 application, the FAFSA indicates that for best
consideration an Oklahoma student should fill out their FAFSA as
soon as possible after Oct. 1. And because so many financial aid
programs use the FAFSA, submitting your FAFSA early can also help
place you near the beginning of the line when you are considered
for other financial aid programs at your school.
With the implementation of "Early FAFSA" in 2017-18, your tax
information should be complete and easy to access or even import
into the application directly from the IRS. (The tax information
used for the new process will be the prior-prior year, or 2015, for
the 2017-18 FAFSA that will be available Oct. 1, 2016.
I am going to a different school in the spring. I got OTAG last
fall at my old school. Can I get it at my new school too?
Generally, yes, as long as the school you are transferring to is
also an
OTAG eligible school. If it is an eligible school and if you
continue to meet eligibility requirements, you should be able to
receive OTAG at your new school.
I am only taking three credit hours this semester. Can I
receive OTAG funds?
No. Students cannot receive OTAG for enrollment that is less
than "half time" according to their institution's definition. For
most schools, this will be at least six credit hours per semester,
or at least 450 clock hours if your school uses that measure.
What is the maximum amount of OTAG I can receive?
Currently, the maximum amount a student can receive is $1,000
per year at a public college, university or career technology
center, or $1,300 per year at a private, non-profit college or
university. The actual amount you receive can also be affected by
the cost of the school you attend and how many hours you are
taking, as well as what other financial aid you are receiving.
I am a graduate student. Can I get OTAG?
No. Graduate students are not excluded by the law that created
OTAG; however, OTAG does not offer awards to all eligible students
under the law because of funding limitations. At this time,
undergraduates are given priority and have been for the past
several years.
I'm not a graduate student, but I already have one bachelor's
degree and I'm getting a second one. Can I still get OTAG?
No. OTAG is limited to undergraduate students who have not yet
received a first bachelor's degree.
I am going to a college in another state. Can I get OTAG?
No. Only students attending
OTAG eligible schools in Oklahoma can receive an OTAG
grant.
My school doesn't appear on the list of eligible schools, but
it is in Oklahoma. Why isn't it eligible?
The school you are attending may be a proprietary (for-profit)
school. Students at proprietary schools are not eligible to receive
OTAG funds.
I am not eligible to fill out the FAFSA due to my citizenship
status, but someone told me I might still be eligible for OTAG. Is
this true?
It is true that some students are not eligible to receive
federal aid because they are neither U.S. citizens nor eligible
non-citizens (Information about federal aid eligibility is
available at Federal Student Aid.) However, some of these students
can still be considered for state aid, such as an OTAG award. In
general, qualified applicants enrolling in postsecondary education
for the first time in 2007-08 and thereafter, must:
- Have graduated from a public or private high school in
Oklahoma.
- Have resided in Oklahoma with a parent or guardian while
attending a public or private high school in Oklahoma for at least
two years prior to graduation.
- Satisfy admission standards, as determined by the Oklahoma
State System of Higher Education.
- Have provided to the institution a copy of a true and correct
application or petition filed with United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) to legalize the student's immigration
status.
Undocumented immigrants who have previously received OTAG awards
and/or who were enrolled in postsecondary education in 2006-07 or
earlier are eligible under the criteria that was in effect in
2006-07. These students should call 405.225.9456 or toll free
800.858.1840 for more information regarding their
qualifications.
Qualified undocumented immigrant students should complete the Application for Undocumented Immigrants
(PDF,
255k) following the directions included on the form regarding
completion, and mail directly to the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant
Program.
Is there a maximum number of semesters a student can be
eligible for the OTAG award?
The OTAG program rules do not specify a maximum number of
semesters, however, limits on the duration of federal PELL grant
eligibility also limit OTAG eligibility. Program rules state that
otherwise eligible undergraduate students can continue to receive
awards as long as they are eligible for funding from the federal
Pell grant program.