Download the Financial Aid Checklist and make sure you are prepared.
Most colleges in the country increase their tuition and fees every year, but AAC is the first and only private art school in the country to implement a Four-Year Tuition Promise! The Financial Aid Office is dedicated to help you not only through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, but to also provide you with additional avenues to help pay for your college education when needed. Most of our students receive some form of financial aid, ranging from competitive scholarships to need-based grants and loans.
You can rest assured that the AAC Financial Aid Office will provide you with the information you need to make a sound financial decision. This information will be provided through the students’ Campus Café portal, as well as a one-on-one conversation between the student/family and the Financial Aid Department.
The financial aid process can be challenging, and sometimes additional documents are required to process your financial aid. Both the student, as well as their parent(s) (if dependent), can help this process by checking the email and telephone listed on your admission application and FAFSA frequently. The AAC Financial Aid Office will do everything in its power to get your financial aid package processed as soon as possible, though we will need your participation during the process.
The first step is to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online at FAFSA Form any time after October 1. The Art Academy of Cincinnati school code is 003011. The FAFSA is based on the taxes from the prior, prior tax year. In the case of the 2023-2024 award year, you will need your 2021 tax return. It is recommended that you use the “link to IRS” function located within the FAFSA to ensure that your tax information is entered properly. The function will also reduce the application time.
The student, and one parent (if the student is under the age of 24), will need a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID which will be used to electronically sign the FAFSA each year. Please keep this ID in a safe place as it will be used to sign a Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Loan Counseling if the student/parent wishes to pursue student/parent plus loans.
Thirty percent of all FAFSA’s filed are selected by the Department of Education for an audit process called verification, whereby the Financial Aid Office is required to verify that certain data on the FAFSA is correct. The Financial Aid Office also reserves the right to select additional FAFSA’s for verification if necessary. If your FAFSA is pulled for verification the Financial Aid office will notify you of the required documents via email, all required documents must be submitted and processed before the award letter can be processed.
The Department of Education announced on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, that the new 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will be open to students and families by December 31, 2023. The AAC Office of Financial Aid will host an Information Session on the new FAFSA on Wednesday, November 29. Please see our office for details.
Download the Financial Aid Checklist and make sure you are prepared.
Financial Aid documents are due within 3 weeks of being requested, and no later than April 1st for current students & July 15th for incoming students. It is strongly encouraged that students (incoming & returning) meet with the Financial Aid Office for a Financial Aid Package Review before they can register for classes.
Documents:
Please check your email listed on the FAFSA regularly.
Documents can be submitted to the Financial Aid Office via email, fax, or mail.
AAC scholarships will be disbursed from the Financial Aid Office to the Business Office shortly before the start of each semester.
Outside scholarships will be disbursed once AAC has received the check from the outside (non AAC) foundation. Outside scholarships will be split into two disbursements (Fall & Spring) unless noted otherwise.
Federal Financial Aid will be disbursed from the Department of Education to the eligible student’s tuition accounts on or around the second week of each semester, provided that the student and/or parent have submitted all the required documents on time. Once the federal aid has been disbursed to the tuition account a Title IV refund will be processed within 14 days to those that have a credit balance on their tuition account.
Aid from the State of Ohio (OCOG) will be disbursed closer to the middle of the semester once AAC has received the funds from the state.
Though Financial Aid is disbursed at the beginning of the semester it is earned throughout the semester. If you withdraw from classes after the first day of the semester your aid is subject to change, per Department of Education regulations. This adjustment may result in a balance owed to the school, as the school is required to return any unearned funds to the Department of Education on the student’s behalf.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the AAC Financial Aid Office, as we are always here to help!!
Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm
Email: financialaid@artacademy.edu
Phone: 513-562-8751
Fax: 513-562-8778
Mail:
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Attention: Financial Aid
1212 Jackson Street
Cincinnati 45202
