Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find answers to many frequently asked questions below.

What is the "program fee" on my financial aid statement?

The College of Engineering, which includes the Knowlton School, received approval for a new “Engineering Special Fee” of $4,000 at a recent Board of Trustees meeting. This will replace the existing program fee, which has not increased in nearly a decade. The new fee will remain the same for all four years a student is enrolled as part of the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee. The fee will fund acquisition and upkeep of technology and equipment in engineering education laboratories, financial aid and recruitment of faculty in a highly competitive market.

College of Engineering students have paid an additional fee since 2007. Increasing the fee will support student academic success by helping to:

• Hire more professors, lowering the student-faculty ratio.
• Modernize classroom and laboratory technology.
• Enable more academic and career advisors to help meet the demand of more students.
• Meet increasing STEM job and workforce demand in Ohio by hiring more faculty and advisors, which can lead to producing more engineering graduates.

The increased fee will:

• Take effect in Autumn semester 2022.
• Be paid by semester; $2,000 per semester of enrollment.
  • Engineering students enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 will continue to pay $590 per semester.
  • Pell-eligible students will receive financial assistance from the College of Engineering to offset the amount of the fee increase.
• Impact in-state and out-of-state first-year undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and transfer students who were first-year undergraduates at another university in Autumn 2022.
  • Current students are grandfathered in under the existing fee structure.
• Not apply to incoming students this year at any Ohio State regional campus.
• Be pro-rated by credit hour for part-time students.

Admitted engineering students with questions about their financial aid package can email the College of Engineering’s Scholarship Office, eng-coe-scholarships@osu.edu.

When should I apply?
The admissions application opens on August 1st, and November 1st is the priority deadline.

High school seniors should submit their complete admission application by November 1st to be considered for the College of Engineering. Capacity within engineering fills quickly.

Who reviews my application? Who is admitted?  
All admissions applications are reviewed centrally by Ohio State Undergraduate Admissions, regardless of major. The College of Engineering does not review applications for admission to the university.

Learn more information about admissions  >

I am considering engineering as well as other majors. What should I list on the application?
Apply to engineering! We encourage all students who are considering engineering along with other majors to start with us. It is easier to start in our program and change to another major than begin in a major outside of engineering because our capacity quickly fills.

How do I visit? Can I visit a specific department? 
Register for an in-person overview and facilities tours at https://campusvisit.osu.edu.

Questions? Please reach out to us via eng-recruitment@osu.edu.

What scholarships are available?
November 1st is the priority deadline for students who are interested in applying to engineering at the Columbus campus. November 1st is also the priority deadline for larger university merit scholarships. 

The College of Engineering reserves the majority of our scholarship dollars for current students, who are engaged in their departments and have demonstrated academic success. We offer one-time competitive book-level scholarships ranging between $1,000-2,000 to entering freshmen. Learn more about the available scholarship opportunities.

If you have additional questions, please email eng-recruitment@osu.edu.