Student Financial Services FAQs

Paying for college is a big concern for most families. We want to make sure you and your parents understand Ouachita’s financial aid process. Here are some key things you need to know:

Ouachita Aid

• The application for admission to Ouachita is also the application for Ouachita academic scholarships and grants. You will be considered for available university scholarships at the time of acceptance to the university. Make sure we have your official transcript and test scores.
• Merit Aid is based on your GPA through your 7th semester (December of your senior year) and the highest composite ACT/SAT score through the February test date of your senior year.
• You can go to the Ouachita Scholarship Calculator to see what Merit Aid you would qualify for with your current GPA and ACT/SAT scores.

Federal Aid

• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This is the application for all forms of federal student aid including the Pell Grant, federal student loans, federal parent loans and the federal work study program.
• Ouachita should receive your processed FAFSA within 3-5 business days, as long as you listed Ouachita as one of your schools.
• The Student Financial Services Office at Ouachita will prepare a financial aid offer for every accepted student that sends us their FAFSA. Financial aid offers are provided through the student admissions portal and are updated as the student’s financial aid package is updated. Students should let Student Financial Services know about any private scholarships they are awarded so that those scholarships can be added to the student’s financial aid offer.

State Aid

• Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship – Apply through the Arkansas Division of Higher Education by July 1.
• Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship – Students who score a 32 or above on the ACT must still apply for this scholarship by March 1 through the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.

Private Aid

Private scholarships are those not funded by Ouachita or any state or federal government source. While they may require additional time and effort to locate and apply for, they can be a valuable resource. Application deadlines for the coming year usually fall in the early spring. Some great resources to help locate private scholarships include:

• Ouachita’s list of Private Scholarships available to our students 
• High School Guidance Counselors
• Your Local Chamber of Commerce
• Free Scholarship Searches (see the Scholarship Search tab on our private scholarship page)

Once students preregister for class for the coming semester, Ouachita’s student INFO Portal will populate the student’s Pre-Bill, an anticipated list of charges and financial aid for the coming semester. (Preregistration for the fall semester is open each year in April, and preregistration for the spring opens in October.)

An updated student account statement will be posted to the student’s Info portal each month. If the student does not pay their balance in full during online check-in at the beginning of the semester, they will receive a monthly statement and payment reminder on the first of each month. These statements are emailed to the student’s Ouachita email and to the primary and secondary contacts listed in the student’s profile. (You can check your contact information for accuracy in the student’s Info portal, under the Menu in MY Info, and then My profile.)

Students who have received more aid than they were charged for the semester or who have paid in more than they were charged and have a credit balance on their account may request a refund check through their INFO Portal at any time during the semester. Any credit resulting from federal aid will be issued automatically. Refund checks will begin being issued the week after classes begin. Ouachita issues checks once a week. Any check requested by 3 p.m. on Tuesday should be available to pick up in Student Financial Services after 1 p.m. on Friday. ID cards are required for check pick up.

OBU Dollars can be purchased in Student Financial Services to be used in the bookstore, Chick-fil-A, Tacos 4 Life or Dr. Jacks.

Student IDs are preloaded each semester with $15 for copy/printing. Students can also add OBU Dollars for additional printing services.

Payments may be made with cash, check, money order, credit/debit card or electronic check. Account payments may be made:

• *Preferred payment method* – Online Payment Option through the student’s or parent’s web portal account
• By phone at (870) 245-5570
• By mail addressed to Ouachita Baptist University, Box 3774, Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71998

Full Residential Student Meal Plan: Residential students pay a package rate that covers a standard, shared dorm room and a full meal plan. Full meal plans include unlimited access to the Ouachita Commons and up to $500 in charges at one our Student Center locations (Chick-fil-A, Tacos 4 Life or Dr. Jack's Coffeehouse).

Commuters/Ouachita apartment residents may choose the full meal plan or one of our smaller commuter meal plan options. The commuter meal plan option can be chosen during Online Check-In each semester from the INFO Portal or contact Student Financial Services for assistance. Students on full scholarships will be expected to maintain meal plan coverage or their university scholarship will be adjusted accordingly.

Checks up to a maximum of $250 can be cashed in Student Financial Services. A student ID must be presented. Also, there are several banks in town that provide checking and savings accounts to students.

Mailing addresses and email contacts can be changed from the student’s INFO Portal or in the Registrar’s Office.

A student may give permission to access student records by updating contact details in the parent portal section.

Ouachita’s email account is the official method of communication with students. Students are advised to set up their accounts early and monitor them regularly.

You may authorize books to be charged to your student account through the INFO Portal.

Ouachita contracts with BBA for book purchases. Books are purchased online.

Book expenses average approximately $550 per semester (amounts vary according to class schedules).

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, and applies to schools receiving funds from the U.S. Department of Education. This law grants parents the right to inspect records, request amendments and control the disclosure of their child’s education records. When a student reaches 18 years of age or attends an institution of postsecondary education at any age, all rights under FERPA transfer from the parent to the student.

Once a student begins class at Ouachita, Student Financial Services MUST have a FERPA release from the student in order to provide any details of the student’s account to anyone other than the student. This permission is granted by creating a Parent Portal Account in the student’s INFO Portal.