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OHIO Regional Advantage Awards Program

OHIO Regional Advantage Awards Program

»¨¼¾´«Ã½ is investing in you, your goals, your dreams, your forever. The OHIO Regional Advantage Awards program can open the doors to an education at an OHIO regional campus – and then wherever your path leads. »¨¼¾´«Ã½ students are achievers, dreamers and innovators, and they're forever crushing their goals. The OHIO Regional Advantage Awards can help you reach your goals, too.

A set of renewable scholarships designed to ensure that an extraordinary OHIO education is within reach in communities across the region, the program underscores OHIO's commitment to supporting our students from admission through graduation and beyond.

First-year students who are new to an »¨¼¾´«Ã½ regional campus in fall 2026 as full-time, degree-seeking students are eligible for consideration. The OHIO Regional Advantage Awards program recognizes exemplary academic achievement within our regional communities.

 

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OHIO Regional Advantage Awards for Fall 2026

Supportive. Generous. Renewable.

In this versatile scholarship program, some awards can be combined for generous scholarship packages. See the OHIO Regional Advantage Awards Frequently Asked Questions for information about award combinations, eligibility and renewal. And keep in mind that other federal, state and institutional financial aid may be available for FAFSA-filers.

OHIO Regional Advantage FAQ

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Request more information about the Regional Advantage Awards Program below.

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  • OHIO Regional Action Award


    The OHIO Regional Action Award rewards students who are ready to take action now on their college plans and supports their access to higher education at any »¨¼¾´«Ã½ regional campus. Students with a minimum 2.5 GPA who apply by the application priority date, December 1, 2025, and whose FAFSA results are received by OHIO's first-priority date, January 15, 2026, will automatically receive this $500 award.

  • OHIO Regional Advantage Scholarship


    This merit-based scholarship is the foundation of the OHIO Regional Advantage Awards program. The Regional Advantage Scholarship is designed to recognize the achievement and unlock the potential of a dynamic, diverse and academically prepared entering first-year class at OHIO regional campuses. Award amounts vary according to academic merit.

  • OHIO Regional Distinction Scholarship


    The OHIO Regional Distinction Scholarship recognizes extraordinary achievement and honors a limited number of entering freshmen at »¨¼¾´«Ã½ regional campuses. Recipients of the OHIO Regional Advantage Scholarship with a minimum 4.0 GPA will be invited to submit a supplemental essay to compete for this prestigious award, which covers the full cost of in-state tuition to attend a regional campus for fall 2026. 

 

How to Apply

OHIO Regional Action Award

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the application for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. To receive the OHIO Regional Action Award, students must apply by the application priority date of December 1, 2025, and ensure their FAFSA results are received by OHIO's first-priority date, January 15, 2026. Students are not required to have financial need or accept any federal aid to receive this award. 

OHIO Regional Advantage Scholarship

The application for admission serves as the application for the merit-based OHIO Regional Advantage Awards. Students must submit a complete application by the application priority date of December 1, 2025. Applicants who submit a complete application after December 1, 2025, are considered for Regional Advantage Awards as availability permits. Merit consideration is based on academic achievement as demonstrated by cumulative GPA (highest weighted or unweighted, recalculated to a 4.0 scale).

OHIO Regional Distinction Scholarship

In addition to receiving consideration for the OHIO Regional Advantage Scholarship, regional campus applicants with a 4.0 cumulative GPA will be invited to complete a supplemental essay for the competitive OHIO Regional Distinction Scholarship. Eligible applicants will receive an email providing instructions on how to submit the supplemental essay. Students must submit a complete application by the application priority date, December 1, 2025, to be eligible for consideration for the Regional Distinction Award.

Award Timeline

Merit-based award notifications will begin in December 2025 and continue on a rolling basis. Comprehensive Financial Aid Offers will begin in early March and continue on a rolling basis. OHIO may continue to revise awards using updated credentials as new information becomes available throughout the spring.

OHIO Regional Promise Award for Fall 2026

In addition to the Regional Advantage Awards, the OHIO Regional Promise Award recognizes the hard work and resilience of the fall 2026 entering class. This renewable award will cover the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees to attend an »¨¼¾´«Ã½ regional campus for fall 2026 incoming full-time, first-year, degree-seeking, Pell-eligible students with a minimum 3.0 high school GPA who apply by the application priority date of December 1, 2025, and whose FAFSA results are received by OHIO's first-priority date of January 15, 2026.

Other Regional Campus Scholarships

In addition to the OHIO Regional Advantage Awards and the OHIO Regional Promise Award, OHIO awards some endowed scholarships specific to a regional campus. Endowed scholarships are funds often given in honor or memory of an individual or family and yearly amounts vary.

Students receiving full tuition (instructional fees) awards, including through the »¨¼¾´«Ã½ Educational Benefits program, are not eligible for OHIO Regional Advantage Awards. Additional restrictions may apply, and the program is subject to change. For renewal criteria, please refer to your scholarship award notification.