Give Back Go Forward

A tuition voucher, good for a three-hour tuition voucher for undergraduate courses at The Ohio State University, is earned after being accepted into the program and successfully completing 100 hours of volunteer service at a community partner location.

The designated service year is one calendar year from the time the volunteer is approved.

Aside from having one year to complete 100 volunteer hours, your commitment is self-determined.

Volunteer opportunities and tasks vary by community partner. Please contact the partner at which you wish to serve to determine which activities you wish to undertake.

Volunteers can earn up to two tuition vouchers in one calendar year. The vouchers are earned on a first come, first served basis. Participation is currently open to a maximum of 100 volunteers. Ohio State will honor up to 200 vouchers, with a maximum of 2 per enrolled participant.

Yes, a tuition voucher can be gifted as long as the student is an in-state student, is eligible for or enrolled in classes at The Ohio State University, and uses the tuition voucher within five years of it being earned.

Yes. If you do not have a specific student selected, and will not be using it yourself, you may donate your voucher to The Ohio State University Student Financial Aid Office. The office will identify a need based student worthy of tuition assistance and apply the tuition voucher to their account as a gift from an anonymous donor.

Due to The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student information cannot be shared with the Give Back Go Forward donor.

Tuition vouchers may be used an admitted in-state undergraduate student at the Columbus or any regional campus of The Ohio State University. The student may be the volunteer, or a designee of the volunteer (family member or friend). For questions regarding admission to the university please contact Undergraduate Admissions at 614-292-3980 or AskaBuckeye@osu.edu.

When a volunteer completes 100 hours of service and those hours have been verified, the tuition voucher will be awarded. The voucher must be used by the recipient or a designee within five years of the voucher issue date.

The five-year period of validity for the voucher will take effect the semester following the award of the voucher. The student will then have up to five years to utilize the voucher. Vouchers may be submitted for a future term if a student has enrollment for that term. Please note that the voucher will not be credited to the student account until charges for that term have posted. 

Tuition vouchers must be submitted for redemption by the posted Fee Payment Deadline (typically one week before the semester start).

The student may not utilize more than one (1) voucher per semester, three (3) per academic year.

Congratulations! When you are ready to submit your voucher, please bring the award letter, along with the accompanying certificate complete with the student's first and last name and Ohio State Username (lastname.#) to the University Buckeye Link Office. 

Student Academic Services Building, Lobby

281 W. Lane Ave

Columbus, OH 43221

Phone: 614-292-0300

Email: BuckeyeLink@osu.edu

In the event the voucher and/or letter has been misplaced, contact the Buckeye Link office via phone or email. A representative will be able to assist you in determining the expiration date of the voucher, whether it is has been redeemed, and, if it has, by whom. 

The voucher can only be used to cover undergraduate tuition (general and instructional fees) for three credit hours. 

Students must reside within the Ohio State in-state tuition boundaries. Vouchers are not eligible to be used by non-Ohio residents.

Students receiving other types of aid that are valid only for undergraduate tuition (general and instructional) may see a reduction in an award if the combination of both awards is higher than total tuition.

Vouchers are non-refundable and have no monetary value (e.g., if a student drops out during the term for which the voucher is applied).