Give Back Go Forward

A volunteer application can be completed online.

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.

You can begin as a volunteer if you are at least 60 years of age at the time you apply.

Volunteers must reside in the state of Ohio and must complete their service at one of the community partners.

You can volunteer at one of the three community partner locations which are the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, St. Stephen's Community House, Mansfield Richland County Public Library, Mansfield City Schools,  The Works (Ohio Center for History, Arts, and Technology), Licking County Historical Society, West Ohio Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity- Lima, and BuckeyeBackers.

Hours completed with a current community partner can count. However, only hours accrued after your application is accepted will be eligible to count toward the tuition voucher. Service completed prior to your application date will not be eligible.

Program participants must adhere to the volunteer requirements of the community partner where they will be serving. 

Volunteers are eligible to start recording hours as soon as their application has been approved by Ohio State, their volunteer status has been approved by the community partner, and the tracking period begins.

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, registered participants who complete their one-year term are able to sign-up again through our application form. If the program is full at the time of registration, participants will be added to the end of the waitlist and contacted as space becomes available. Please note that as programmatic limitations allow one year to complete 100 volunteer hours, the calculation of hours towards 100 will restart when participation begins again.

Yes, anyone 60 and older is eligible to become a participant, as long as they have applied, been accepted and are completing hours at a community partner location. Hours from two or more volunteers cannot be combined to meet the criteria for one.

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).