Fees and Financial Aid
Fees for the program fall into three categories: application fee, student services fee, and course fees. Our fees are the same for all students, we do not currently charge different fees for out-of-state students.
Application Fee (one time): $125.00 ($85.00 for former Ohio University students and military personnel)
Pays for the processing your application, evaluating transcripts, and your first year in the program.
Student Services Fee (yearly): $75.00
The student services fee is charged on a yearly basis beginning on the anniversary of your admission to the program. This fee keeps your files current and helps to cover the cost of our toll-free number and other basic office costs. A billing reminder is sent out before your admission anniversary. If you do not pay your student services fee, then your records are moved to our "inactive" files for two-years. If you are considered "inactive," then you do not have access to advising or course choice approvals. If you have not paid your student services fee within two years, your file is destroyed. Any course work that you have completed with Ohio University does remain on permanent file with Ohio University.
Course Costs: Vary
Correspondence and Web courses
Course Credit by Examination
Independent Learning Projects
More detail about course fees is included with the course information.
Course Materials: Vary
When you enroll in a correspondence course, you are provided with a course guide containing the "lecture notes" and course lessons. All lesson content for an online (web) course is on the World wide Web. Additional material may be required. You should budget additional money per course for textbooks and materials. Some courses may be more, some will be less.
Financial Aid
Some students in the External Student Program may qualify for Pell or Federal Direct Student Loans (reduced for non-term-based programs). Before aid can be determined, students must submit a FAFSA to the Federal Student Aid Programs, identify Ohio University as the institution of learning, and complete their admission to the External Student Program. You can download a FAFSA at: www.fafsa.ed.gov.
It can also be submitted on-line. Ohio University’s FAFSA identification number is 003100.
Transfer Credit Accepted
The information supplied here about what Ohio University will accept as transfer credit is to assist you in your decision, but is subject to change without notice.
ACT/PEP: Credit is only given for the nursing exams as lower-level credit.
American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credit: Ohio University honors the ACE credit recommendations.
AP Exams (Advanced Placement): AP exams are accepted. AP exams are intended to be taken by recent high school students who were enrolled in AP courses, and are not appropriate for students who have been out of high school for more than a few years.
CLEP Exams (College Level Equivalency Program): Subject exams only are accepted. Exams must be taken before enrolling for an Ohio University course. Once you have enrolled for an Ohio University course, CLEP will no longer be accepted.
International or Foreign Credentials: We do accept credit from foreign institutions, but all foreign credit is evaluated by the Ohio University Examiner. "A" levels may be accepted for transfer credit, "O" levels are not accepted. Additionally, foreign transcripts should be sent to our office in English, if the transcripts are not issued in English, then you need to provide a certified translation with the transcripts or credentials being submitted.
Military Experience Credit is given for according to the ACE recommendations. Credit is not given for MOS or internships.
Regionally accredited United States college or university: Course must have a grade of "C-" or better (or equivalent). Remedial courses, Freshman orientation courses, and required religion courses from religious-based institutions are not accepted for credit. Official transcripts need to be sent directly to our office from each college or university you have attended.
Transfer Credit NOT AcceptedACT/PEP: The only exception is for the ACT/PEP nursing exams listed above. MOS (Military Occupational Skills) Regents Exams Semester and Quarter credit hours: Ohio University is on a "quarter credit hour" system. Most colleges and universities are on a "semester credit hour" system. We use the terms "hour" and "credit" and "unit" interchangeably. We equate semester hours to quarter hours at the following rate: 1 semester hour = 1.5 quarter hours. (A 3 semester hour course will transfer to Ohio University as a 4.5 quarter hour course).
Options for Earning Credit
Ohio University requires a minimum of 48 Ohio University credits to satisfy the residency requirement for the bachelor's degree and 30 Ohio University credits to satisfy the residency requirement for the associate's degree). Any credit earned through Ohio University will fulfill the residency requirement, whether it is a distance learning course or an on-campus course. Additionally, your final 16 hours of credit needs to be earned from Ohio University.
Ohio University Distance Learning Course Options
Options include Correspondence Courses, Web Courses, Course Credit by Exam, Independent Learning Projects, and Experiential Learning (also called portfolio credit). To earn portfolio credit, you must be a degree seeking student with Ohio University, have established an acceptable grade point average with Ohio University, have completed your Freshman Composition course (or equivalent in transfer), and enroll in the portfolio course. You must discuss this option with your advisor and, possibly, the program coordinator before enrolling in the course.
A Note About Exams
When exams are required in a course, the exam must be proctored or supervised. In the United States, exams can be proctored at a regionally accredited college or university or at an accredited high school (with the high school principal or a school board superintendent). If you are near an Ohio University campus, you must take your exams at the closest Ohio University campus. Students overseas can also use a college or university or a United States Embassy or Consulate or an American School for proctoring. You are responsible for arranging a procto, and Ohio University has final approval over your exam proctor. You are also responsible for any fees the proctor may charge. Information about exam procedures is included with your course materials.
Other Means to Earn Credit
Our students can also take courses from other regionally accredited colleges and universities while they are enrolled in our degree program. You will need to coordinate this with your advisor.
The Next Step
You may want to call our office and speak with an advisor about your case and situation. Contact us at 1-800-444-2910 (toll-free within the US) or 1-740-593-2910 between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time. If you know you want to apply to our program, you need to request a copy of our External Student Program brochure that includes an application for admission. You can request this through our request form or by phone. If you are not sure you want to apply, and want us to review your records, you can request a preliminary transcript evaluation.
Application Process
Checklist for Application Process (suitable for printing)To apply, you must have an External Student Program brochure, as it has the application for admission. You can request this through our form or by phone. (We do not yet have access to a secure server, so we do not accept applications over the internet.) Our program has rolling admission, meaning you can start any time throughout the year. Our courses are also available for enrollment anytime, so we have no deadlines for you to meet.
Completing the application
As you complete the application, be sure to indicate the degree you are interested in (if you have little college credit, then we generally recommend you pursue an associate's degree as you work towards a bachelor's degree).
Transcripts
We require original, sealed transcripts be sent to our office from each institution you have previously attended. We hold transcripts for 1 year in our office, so you can request to have your transcripts sent to our office before you send your application. Transcripts should be sent to:
Records Clerk
Adult Learning Services
Haning Hall 222
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
You will need to contact each college or university to find out what they require to be able to send your transcript to our office. In general you will need to send a written request with your full name (and name when you attended the school), Social Security Number, dates of enrollment, your signature, and instructions on where to send the transcripts. Most schools also require a nominal fee for each transcript.
Other materials
If you have other materials that you want evaluated for transfer credit, you should include those with your application. We keep all materials we receive in your file, so even if you are not awarded transfer credit, they may assist us in evaluating whether you are an appropriate candidate for the portfolio course.
How long until I receive my admission packet?
From the time you send in your application, you should allow a minimum of four weeks to receive your admissions packet. How long it will actually take depends on how long it takes for your application to arrive and how long it takes for any college transcripts to arrive. Additionally, if you are applying from overseas or need to have foreign credentials evaluated, you should allow for additional time. Once we have received all of your application materials (application, application fee, and transcripts), your advisor will prepare an admissions packet with your transcript evaluation, degree worksheet, and other appropriate information. Included in this packet will be an overview of what requirements you have remaining for your degree. Due to the nature of the Ohio University degree programs, we are not be able to give you a checklist of courses to take.
After you receive your packet
Once you receive your admissions packet, you should review all of the materials and contact your advisor with any questions you may have and begin to arrange to take courses. Making regular and timely contact with your advisor is a key to being successful in the degree process.
International Admissions Information and Requirements
The Ohio University External Student Program does admit international students. Please note that all courses are taught in English and you will need excellent English skills to be successful in this program. To apply, you must have an External Student Program brochure, as it has the application for admission. You can request this through our form or by phone. (We do not yet have access to a secure server, so we do not accept applications across the internet.)You must have the equivalent of a United States high school diploma.
O-levels
O-levels are sufficient for admission to Ohio University provided you have six (6) O-levels with grades of "C" or higher including English, Math, and a laboratory science. A certified copy of your official O-level certificate is required.
A-levels
A-levels are sufficient for admission to Ohio University provided you have earned a grade of "D" or higher. We recommend that students complete their A-levels. A-levels may be granted some college credit in transfer if you have earned a grade of "B" or higher. Before credit can be awarded, however, we need a certified copy of your actual A-level certificate as well as copies of the exam syllabi. The syllabi would be reviewed by our faculty to determine whether credit should be awarded and, if so, how it should be matched to OU courses.
TOEFL Exams
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is not required for admission to the External Student Program. However, all of our courses are taught in English and to be successful you will need strong English skills.
International College and University Transfer Credit
We accept some credits in transfer from international colleges and universities. The Ohio University Examiner makes all determinations regarding what credits we will or will not accept. We need to have sealed, official transcripts in English or, if your school does not provide transcripts in English, then we need a copy of your original transcripts with a certified English translation for evaluation. Because we have to send these to the University Examiner, there is additional time required for processing admission of international students.
Visa Information Admission to the External Student Program does NOT qualify a student to receive a Visa for entrance to the United States.
To be eligibile to receive a student Visa, you must be admitted to an on-campus program of study. If you are interested in studying in the United States with Ohio University, visit the International Admissions page for the information you need.
How Long until You Receive Your Packet?
Once we have received all of your application materials (application, application fee, and transcripts), we will send any transcripts to the University Examiner for evaluation and the appropriate worksheets. You will receive an admissions packet from your advisor with a copy of your transcript evaluation and an overview of your remaining requirements. Due to the nature of the Ohio University degree programs, we will not be able to give you a checklist of courses to take.
After You Receive Your Packet
You should contact your advisor with any questions you have and begin to arrange to take courses. Making regular and timely contact with your advisor is one key to being successful in the degree process.
