Q1. Am I eligible to receive Financial Aid?
A. Most students who are U.S. citizens or Legal Resident Aliens who are enrolled in an accredited degree program are eligible to receive federal grants, loans or work/study to help pay tuition and fees. To receive financial aid each year at Otis, students must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien;
2. Be registered with Selective Services (males over the age of 18);
3. Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
4. Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate, pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, meet other standards your state establishes that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as a home school or private school under state law. See the financial aid administrator for more information.

Progress is monitored at the end of each semester. Students who do not maintain the minimum standard will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester to improve this deficiency. If, after a probation period of one semester, the student is not in satisfactory academic standing, he/she will be ineligible for financial aid for subsequent semesters until a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is achieved. Students have the right to appeal this action to the Director of Financial Aid.

Q2. How do I apply for Financial Aid?
A. In order to apply for financial aid a student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. This application is available from the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  In order to complete your FAFSA you will need to sign electronically, you and a parent listed on the FAFSA should get a pin at www.pin.ed.gov (allow between 24-48 hours for processing).  Paper FAFSA is also available from the Otis Financial Aid Office office or your high school guidance office.

When a student applies for financial aid he/she will be considered for all forms of assistance, including grants, loans, and work/study. The federal government and the Otis Financial Aid Office will process the application to determine eligibility. Students will be notified of their financial aid awards by the Financial Aid Office beginning March 1. Students must reapply for financial aid every year.

The following additional documentation may also be required to complete the financial aid application process. The Financial Aid Office will notify students if additional information is required.

1. Copy of parents' previous year's federal tax form
2. Copy of student's previous year's tax form
3. Dependent/Independent Verification Worksheet

Final award disbursement will depend on the receipt of all documentation.

Q3. What is the Otis Federal School Code?
A. The school code for the FAFSA is: 001251

Q. When should I apply for Financial Aid?
A. New students entering Otis in the Fall can file their FAFSA after January 1 of the year you plan to attend college.

New students entering Otis in the Spring must file the current year FAFSA and keep in mind to file to file the following year FAFSA in January.

California State Grant Deadline is March 2 of every year.  Two forms need to be completed.  The first is the FAFSA and the second is the GPA Verification Form.

Since Otis has a “rolling” admissions policy, the Financial Aid Office encourages prospective students to apply early since some financial aid are limited.

Continuing students have a priority application deadline of February 15 (absolute deadline) for Named Scholarships.  Continuing students may continue to apply for aid after the February 15 deadline to receive the federal, state, and/or Otis Grants.

Q4. How long will it take for me to receive my award letter?
A. The Financial Aid Office will begin sending out award letters to new students in March.  If for some reason, you need an award letter due to specific reasons such as an outside scholarship, then please do not hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Office and we can let you know if there is anything we can do.

Q5. My parents have not filed their income tax forms yet. Can I apply for aid without this information?
A. Yes. The Financial Aid Office suggests that students and parents make an educated estimate of their taxes based on previous tax returns, last pay stubs, or the help of your tax accountants.  The California State grants require that students file a completed FAFSA and GPA verification by March 2.

Q7. Which parent information should I include in the FAFSA?

A. You would need to assess the following
If your parents are married, answer the questions about both parents.

If your parent is widowed or single, answer only the questions about that parent.

If your parents have divorced or separated, answer only the questions about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, answer only the questions about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months.

If your parent has remarried after being widowed or divorced, answer the questions about both your parent and your stepparent.

If you have a legal guardian, you cannot use your legal guardian’s information on your application. A legal guardian is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.

If you have foster parents, you cannot use your foster parent’s information on your application. A foster parent is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.

If you were adopted, follow the instructions above for parents, based on your parent’s current marital status.

Q22. My award letter mentions that I am eligible for Federal Work Study.  How do I get this money?
A. Federal work study means working for the school while earning money that goes to you directly to be used for educational purposes.  Federal work study is not mandatory and if you are not interested then you can decline the award on your award letter. 

If you wish to work while in school then you can  apply for a job in the different departments.  If a department wish to hire you, then they will give you a work authorization to bring to the Financial Aid Office.

Q. Where can I go to check my holds?

A.  Students can check their account on-line through Otis Portal.

Q. How do I know if I have been awarded for the new academic year?

A. Students can check Otis Portal under Financial Aid. The award year for the upcoming year will be updated.  Once you see the award then stop by the financial aid office to accept or decline your award.