What is financial aid?

There are many different types of financial aid available at Eastern, including Pell Grants, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, Academic Competitiveness Grant, Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grants, Tribal Grants and Scholarships, Work Study Programs, Direct Loans (Subsidized/Unsubsidized) and Direct Parent PLUS.

Types of Aid

• Grants are funds that to do not have to be repaid. Grants are awarded to students with financial need.
• Federal Work Study is on-campus employment for Eastern students who complete a FAFSA and qualify.
• Institutional Work Study (Regular College Employment) is institutionally funded aid that provides on-campus employment for students who do not qualify for Federal Work Study.
• Loans are money you borrow to help with the costs of your education, and must be paid back with interest.
• Scholarships are gift aid awarded to students from a variety of sources: individuals, organizations and businesses. The criteria for scholarships vary from source to source, but can include academic achievement, financial need, and/or student demographics.
• Summary of Financial Aid Available at Eastern (pdf)

Where do I begin?

Each student who wishes to apply for financial aid will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be obtained from Eastern's Office of Financial Aid, high school counselors, libraries or by phone at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). The fastest and easiest option is to apply online at www.fafsa.gov. You will need your family's tax information to complete the application. Eastern's financial aid code is 003155.

Do I qualify?

Financial aid is granted to students depending on their degree of need. Using the FAFSA, a student's degree of need is determined by an analysis of such factors as family income, number of children in a family, and value of family assets. The amount of "financial need" determines the amount of financial aid to be awarded.

Students seeking federal financial aid at Eastern Oklahoma State College must have a high school diploma or GED. If a student does not have a high school diploma or GED, they can be directed to one of the following locations for information about the GED training programs.

McAlester Adult Learning Center
2801 N. "A" Street
McAlester, OK
918-423-4008

Idabel Adult Learning Center
1203 SE Quincy Street
Idabel, OK
580-286-3056

Verification is a process in which the U.S. Department of Education requires colleges and universities to collect documents, in order to check the accuracy of the information submitted on the FAFSA. Eastern Oklahoma State College is prohibited from awarding financial aid, until the Verification process is complete.

You must wait five days after filing your FAFSA form before creating your Verification account.

Students

Create your Student Verification account  |  Students with existing accounts login here

Parents

Create your Parent Verification account  |  Parents with existing accounts login here

Need Help?

Use these helpful links for tips on using the online verification system.

• Creating an Account
• Uploading Documents from a Mobile Device

Next Steps

After your account has been created, you will immediately see any forms that must be completed. Follow the instructions and once you have completed all requirements click on the "Finish" button. The Eastern Financial Aid Office will review your documents and your Verification account will alert you if there is any more information needed. Please respond quickly to any text message or email from Verification so that your application is not delayed.

Important note:
Do not send your information by email to the Eastern Financial Aid Office. Always log in to your Verification account and only submit your forms there.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid. Federal regulations require the college to establish, publish and apply standards to monitor your progress toward completion of your certificate or degree program. If you fail to meet these standards, you will be placed on financial aid warning or suspension. Your academic performance must meet the SAP standards below. The policy is separate and apart from other academic policies at the college.

• Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
• Financial Aid Suspension Appeal

• How to Review Your Financial Aid in Self Service 
• Enrollment and Financial Aid Information for Consortium Agreement Student
• Direct Loan Application Instructions
• Direct Loan Form for Active Confirmation After Loan Award
• Financial Aid Suspension (Satisfactory Academic Progress) Appeal
• Student Employment Handbook
• Web Time Entry Instructions for Student Employment
• 2019-20 Financial Aid Verification - All financial aid verification must be completed electronically through the Verification process (see Verifying accordion above).
• Summer Application 2024
   

Eastern participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Direct Loans are low-interest loans for students and parents to help pay for the cost of a student's education after high school. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education rather than a bank. Visit the Student Loans webpage for additional information.

Eastern offers both Federal Work Study and Institutional Work Study opportunities for students. Visit the Student Employment webpage for information on qualifications and to apply.

You have the right to receive the following information from the College:

• Information on financial assistance that is available, including information on all federal, state, local, private and institutional financial aid programs.
• Information on the procedures and deadlines for submitting applications for each available program, grant and/or scholarship.
• Information on how the College selects financial aid recipients.
• Information on how the College determines your financial need.
• Information on how the College determines each type and amount of assistance in your financial aid package (award letter).
• Information on how and when you will receive your aid.
• Information on how the College determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and the consequences if you are not.
• Information on your federal work study job, including the job description, hours of work, what your duties will be, what the rate of pay will be, and how and when you will be paid.
• Information on the location, hours, and counseling procedures of the financial aid office.
• You may gain access to any of the above information online via the college web site or by requesting the information directly from the offices.

As a financial aid student, you must accept the following responsibilities to ensure that your aid is processed correctly and that you know what consequences may arise if you fail to complete your course work or withdraw from school or classes:

• You must complete your admissions application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit them on time to the correct addresses.
• The FAFSA must be completed online and be received no later than March 1 (our priority deadline date) if you wish to receive your maximum eligible aid package.
• We will continue to process aid applications after March 1, however, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG-state grant) and Federal Work Study funds may be exhausted by the time late applications are received.
• New students should complete and submit admissions applications in the November/December time frame so that when their information is received, their aid package (award letter) can be processed in a timely manner.
• You will not receive a financial aid award letter until you are admitted to the College.
• You must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree objective in order to be eligible to receive financial aid at Eastern.
• You must submit accurate and complete information in your FAFSA application and in any other documents or forms requested. Reporting inaccurate and/or incomplete information will delay the processing of your aid or result in a penalty assessed by the federal government.
• You must complete and return all other documents, verification forms, and reports requested by the financial aid office with corrections and/or new information.
• You are responsible for reading and understanding all applications, reports, letters and forms that you are asked to sign, and keeping copies of them.
• You must accept responsibility for all agreements that you sign with the federal government and the College.
• You must perform the work that is agreed upon in the contract if you sign a work study contract.
• You must be aware of the College's withdrawal and refund policies and procedures and know the consequences of withdrawing from classes or school. This information is extremely important as, under certain circumstances, you could find yourself owing the College for an unpaid balance or having to repay federal funds refunded to you.

A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify students for federal financial aid. For more information, view this explanation of penalties.

Eastern Oklahoma State College's Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct prohibits conflicts of interest in situations involving student financial aid and establishes standards of conduct for employees with responsibility for student financial aid. To learn more, view Eastern's Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is awarded to a student who is not eligible for a Pell grant but whose parent or guardian was a member of the U. S. Armed Forces and died as a result of service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. To learn more, contact the Office of Financial Aid.

• College Loan Code of Conduct
• National Center for Education Statistics specific information about EOSC
• OKCollegeStart
• Oklahoma's Promise
• Oklahoma Money Matters
• Watch a video tutorial for assistance with the IRA Data Retrieval for the FAFSA. Video courtesy of UC Santa Barbara
• Students and Parents: Why Form 1098-T is important to you
• Voter Registration for the state of Oklahoma
• EOSC will present an educational program each Sept. 17 in honor of Constitution Day