Ohio Grants for Grads

How is Ohio Grants for Grads paid back?

This help is a forgivable loan: stay in Ohio five years and it's forgiven; leave sooner and you repay some or all.

For the years the program sets, keep your home and first mortgage; then the forgivable loan is cleared.

Who qualifies for Ohio Grants for Grads?

• You must be a recent college graduate who earned a bachelor's, master's, doctorate or associate's degree within 18 months.
• Each Ohio county has its own limits, and targeted areas have separate ones.
• You need to be a first-time buyer, which usually means you haven't owned a home during the last three years.
• Your credit score must be at least 640.
• The first mortgage paired with it is the OHFA First-Time Homebuyer loan.

Most limits depend on your county and how large your household is. Use our HUD income limits tool to see the median income in your area and how your household compares.

How to apply for Ohio Grants for Grads

1. One approved lender handles this help and your home loan together; Ohio Housing Finance Agency sends the money through that lender.
2. Your lender reviews your income, your credit and the home to make sure they meet the program's rules, then sets the money aside for you.
3. At closing, the money is paid toward the down payment and closing costs.

See if applications are open and get the full rules at Ohio Housing Finance Agency's page for Grants for Grads; the agency also has a lender list to pick from.

More first-time buyer programs in Ohio

• Ohio OHFA Down Payment Assistance:

  Forgivable loan of up to 3.5% of the price.

See every first-time home buyer program in Ohio · Down payment help in every state