Student Financial Aid

General Eligibility for Financial Aid

Federal Aid Continued Eligbility (Including Go Grant & Hardship)

Federal Student Aid (FSA), also known as Title IV funding, is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal aid helps students to pay for higher education expenses. Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid can also help pay for a computer and for dependent care.

Please note: Students may not exceed loan limits regulated by the U.S. Department of Education.

To review initial eligibility criteria for specific forms of aid, please visit our Types of Financial Aid page.

Continued eligibility requirements will differ depending on the award. For continue federal aid eligibility students must:

  • Fill out and complete the Free Application for Federal Aid each academic year (FAFSA)
    • More in depth information regarding the FAFSA application process can be found in the FAFSA Application tab.
  • Be accepted for enrollment and be in good standing, making satisfactory progress
  • Not be in default on any loan from a student loan fund or on a loan guaranteed or insured under the Federal Student Loan Program
  • Not owe a refund on a federal grant previously received
  • Meet other eligibility requirements, such as those related to selective service registration, citizenship, prior drug convictions, and aggregate aid limits

Students must be enrolled in at least half-time status. If a student drops below half-time (less than 6 hours as an undergraduate and 5 hours as a graduate) enrollment, they may be ineligible for aid, including loans. Additionally, depending on the time during the semester if a course(s) is dropped, a student’s aid may be adjusted. 

Whether or not to drop a course is an academic issue; however, it is a student’s responsibility to understand the financial implications of this decision.

To continue receiving financial aid, students must demonstrate that they are making satisfactory academic progress.

Each school of the Health Sciences Center has established and administers policies on the satisfactory academic progress of its students. These policies include a delineation of the minimum grades, which must be achieved to meet the criteria for satisfactory academic progress, a full description of the application of these policies in regard to the various categories of students, a specific definition of the effects of course incompletes, withdrawals, and repetitions on satisfactory academic progress, and an explanation of the appeals process for those students who have been determined as not making satisfactory progress.

Each school's policies are found in their handbook:

School of Medicine: Page 27-29

School of Dentistry: Page 23

School of Nursing

School of Allied Health: Page 25-26

School of Public Health: Page 41

School of Graduate Studies: Page 13

The Health Sciences Center requires that all work towards a bachelors, graduate, or professional degree be completed in no more than eight calendar years and that all work toward a certificate or an associate degree be completed in no more than five calendar years. Any requests for extension of this policy are subject to approval by the appropriate committee within each school and the dean of that school.

Determining Title IV Aid Amount

Student need plays a factor in what Title IV aid a student may eligible. The basic formula is:

Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Calculated Need

Calculated Need - Gift and Need Based Aid = Remaining Need

Verification Policy

Verification is a process through which the Student Financial Aid Office collects and reviews forms and documentation related to information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and makes adjustments to the FAFSA to correct any errors determined in the process.

If a student's FAFSA is selected for verification, the process must be completed in order for federal aid to be awarded or disbursed.

The LSUHSC-NO Office of Financial Aid will reach out to selected students for the appropriate documentation to complete the process.

The federal processor selects FAFSA for verification and determines the information to be verified.  In addition to federal selection, LSUHSC selects applications based on specific criteria, and individual LSUHSC financial aid administrators select applications based on their professional discretion.

Students selected for verification by the federal processor receive initial notification on their Student Aid Reports (SAR).  LSUHSC sends email notification to all selected aid applicants directing selected applicants to the appropriate Verification Worksheet online, and identifying other documentation requirements such as the IRS Tax Return Transcript.  LSUHSC activates aid applications and the verification process only for Admitted, Matriculated, and continuing students.

LSUHSC will not award federal student aid to applicants selected for verification until the verification process is complete.  Therefore, selected applicants will not receive federal aid if they do not submit all required forms and documentation.

Federal regulations prohibit origination of federal loans after the end of the enrollment period, so loan applicants must complete all verification requirements at least one month before the end of the enrollment period to ensure sufficient time for the aid office staff to complete the verification process, loan award and loan origination.  The applicant must meet other loan-related requirements before origination of a federal loan.

In some instances students eligible for Federal Pell Grant funding may complete the verification process after the end of the enrollment period and still receive a retroactive grant award.  However, LSUHSC highly recommends completion of the process before the end of the enrollment period.

If the financial aid administrator modifies FAFSA data in the verification process the selected applicant will receive a revised SAR form the federal processor stipulating that changes were made by the school.  Selected applicants will receive either a “File Complete” notification when the verification process is complete and their file is placed in queue for processing, or a Financial Aid Notification (FAN) email if the award is processed shortly after completion of the verification process.

As required by federal law and regulation, LSUHSC will promptly report cases of suspected potential fraud and falsified information related to federal student aid programs to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education.  Generally the Student Financial Aid Director will review such cases with the LSUHSC Office of Internal Audit, and may seek the advice of LSUHSC legal counsel, before filing the report with the Inspector General.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Disclosure

Students and parents have access to their own information on StudentAid.gov. A student will need to create and use their FSA User ID and password to log in. Please instruct students to this site so that they may directly view their personal student loan information. Never ask students for their FSA user ID or password and remind them that they must not share their FSA User ID or password with any entity. Like your user ID and password, the student’s FSA User ID or password is private and personal. Financial Aid Professionals can access the information that students view on FSA's Partner Connect website.

TOPS Continued Eligibility

Continued eligibility rules for TOPS are created and administered by LOSFAA (Louisiana Office of Student Financial Aid Assistance). For students to remain eligible, they must:

  • Student must be full time, or be taking the mazimum amount of courses allowed by their deparment during both the fall and spring semesters.
  • Earn 24 credit hours by the end of the academic year
  • Maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA by the end of each semester
  • Maintain a yearly GPA of:
    • Opportunity Award: 2.30 with 24-47 hours of academic credit OR 2.50 with 48 or more hours of academic credit
    • Performance Award: 3.00 with 24 or more hours of academic credit
    • Honors Award: 3.00 with 24 or more hours of academic credit
    • Exellence Award: 3.00 with 24 or more hours of academic credit

Exceptions to the requirements to enroll full-time, to remain continuously
enrolled, or to earn 24 hours of credit each academic year may be granted for
circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students seeking an exception to
these requirements must submit a request for exception form and provide all
necessary documentation. If approved and all other continuation requirements
are met, the award will be reinstated. Requests for exception must be received
no later than six months after the date of the notice of cancellation.

Private Loan Continued Eligibility

Private loan comapies are at liberty to create and implement their own eligibility requirements. LSUHSC-NO recommends contacting the specific lender to learn about their initial and continued eligibility requirements.

 

Foundation/Outside Scholarship Continue Eligbility

The LSUHSC-NO Foundation department, as well as outside scholarship organizations are at liberty to create and implement their own eligibility requirements. LSUHSC-NO Office of Financial Aid recommends contacting the specific awarding organization to learn about their initial and continued eligibility requirements.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Maintaining Federal Student Aid (FSA)

My enrollment status changed to below the half-time requirement since I accepted financial aid. What will happen to my aid?

  • Students who accepted any financial aid and intend on continuing with less than half-time enrollment, may have their aid reduced and/or removed from their account dependent on their enrollment status. Students are responsible for any tuition and fees remaining on their account. 
  • If a student decides to attend the semester and has less than half-time enrollment status, the student is financially responsible for any tuition and fees remaining on their account.
    • In addition, if a student had already borrowed loans in previous semesters, the loan grace period for repayment will begin (six months for Federal Direct Loans). If a student has already used their loan grace period, then they may begin repayment. For more information about repayment, students should contact their appropriate loan service and visit studentaid.gov.

Can I add courses to reach half-time enrollment? 

  • Yes, if students have completed a FAFSA and meets SAP requirements, they may add additional courses within the drop/add period to reach a minimum of half-time enrollment; however, these courses must count towards the progression of their degree. As a reminder, students are responsible for any tuition and fees incurred as a result of adding additional courses.