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Check Your Eligibility

Check My Eligibility

Eligibility for financial aid depends on a number of factors, ranging from your academic accomplishments to your family’s financial circumstances. Whether you’re interested in scholarships, federal need-based loans, or a blend of all available types of aid, the only way to find out the full array of aid that your family qualifies for is to complete the FAFSA.

Merit-Based Aid

If you’ve been admitted to Loyola, then you’re already being considered for merit-based financial aid! All students admitted to Loyola University New Orleans are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on the information they put on their application for admission. Factors such as academic achievement, standardized test scores, and community service are considered in awarding merit scholarships. You don’t need to do anything else to apply for institutional merit scholarships—any merit awards you are eligible for will be included in your financial aid award packet.

Need-Based Aid

To be considered for need-based aid at Loyola University New Orleans, you must first complete and submit the FAFSA. We encourage you to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible; the earlier you apply, the more likely you’ll receive a maximum award. The FAFSA becomes available on Oct. 1 each year. To be considered for maximum aid, incoming students should file the FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 1. (The filing deadline for returning students is May 1.) By meeting the filing deadlines, you will be considered for maximum state or institutional aid.

Completing the FAFSA is a good idea even if you don’t think your family qualifies for need-based aid. Filing a FAFSA is free and makes you eligible for non-need-based programs as well.

Once your FAFSA has been filed and processed, you will be considered for federal need-based financial aid, Louisiana state aid (if you reside in LA), and Loyola-specific financial aid programs.

General Eligibility

Students must meet the following requirements throughout their time at Loyola to remain eligible for federal and state financial aid programs:

  1. Demonstrate financial need through the financial aid application process. Must complete the FAFSA each year.

  2. Maintain good standing and satisfactory academic progress.

  3. Not be in default on any federal Title IV loan program and not owe a repayment of a federal grant or scholarship.

  4. Students who are non-degree seeking, or enrolled in a certificate program, are not eligible for financial aid.

Loyola merit scholarships are automatically renewed each year as long as students remain enrolled full time and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Loyola Merit scholarships are renewed for up to eight semesters for new incoming students and six semesters for Transfer students.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Loyola University New Orleans, in accordance with Federal Regulations, reviews all students’ academic records to determine if each student is making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards earning their degree. This review is conducted at the conclusion of each payment period and includes both qualitative and quantitative requirements.

To monitor the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) of students applying for or receiving Title IV funds, Loyola uses the following requirements (these requirements will also apply to Loyola aid):

  1. Grade point average- maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
  2. Pace of progression- passing 66.67% of all hours attempted.
    1. EXAMPLE: If the total credits attempted in the fall equal 15 credit hours, then the student must pass 10 credit hours or more to maintain 66.67% completion rate. (15 attempted credits x .67= 10 credit hours)
  3. Maximum time frame- Total attempted hours must not exceed 150% of the published length of a student’s degree program.
    1. EXAMPLE: If the total credits in the student’s degree plan are 120 hours, then the 150% maximum is 180. (120 x 1.5= 180)

All students enrolled in all programs leading to a degree, must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 and successfully complete at least 66.67% of attempted credit hours.  Incomplete grades (I), Failed (F) or Withdrawn (W) will be considered attempted credits but not successfully completed.  All transfer credits which fulfill degree requirements will be included in attempted and earned credits.  Each multiple attempt at any given course, will count towards attempted credits regardless of how they are treated in a student’s GPA (ex. Academic Forgiveness).  A student that changes majors will have all courses taken into consideration for both the GPA requirement and the completion requirement.

If a student is found to not be making Satisfactory Academic Progress they will be granted one Financial Aid Warning semester. The student will be notified in writing concerning this status and will have one payment period during which they can continue to receive federal financial aid while working to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress.  Financial Aid Warning is not appealable.  If at the end of the warning period the student is not making SAP, they will receive notification that they are not eligible to receive financial aid.

After the Financial Aid Warning semester students found to be ineligible for financial aid will be informed of their right to appeal and given clear instructions concerning the criteria and documentation for an appeal.  Specifically, appeals should include detailed explanation concerning what caused the academic issues, how those have been addressed and what will be done to gain and maintain SAP in the future. 

Credits Defined

  • Attempted credits—All credits in which a student has registered are considered attempted credits, whether or not the course is completed. Repeated courses as well as grades of F, course withdrawals (W), courses from which a student has been dropped for non-participation (WR), and courses that are not completed (I,) at the end of the semester are included as attempted.
  • Incomplete credits (I)— A temporary Incomplete grade (“I”) may be given to a student how is unable to complete the required coursework during the semester for reasons beyond her/his control. Credits which are attempted, but not completed (I) are included as attempted credits. If an undergraduate course remains incomplete after 6 weeks from the start of the following term, the class is coded as a failure (F).  For the entire Incomplete grade policy please see the current undergraduate university bulletin.
  • Repeated credits— As student may receive aid for a completed course they wish to retake only once. Please see entire policy for Academic Amnesty in the current undergraduate university bulletin.
  • Transfer credits—Hours transferred to Loyola University New Orleans will be counted as attempted and earned.  The transfer GPA will only be used for admission purposes and will not be calculated in the student’s overall GPA.

SAP Review Statuses

Financial Aid Warning

In the event that a student fails to meet any of the above criteria at the end of an academic term (fall, spring or summer) they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next payment period. While such students are not required to take any action and will be eligible to receive aid for one subsequent term (fall, spring or summer), they are encouraged to meet with their Student Success Coach or Academic Advisor.

At the end of the Financial Aid Warning period one of the following actions will occur: 1) A student is removed from Financial Aid Warning if the student is now meeting all SAP standards; or 2) A student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension if, after the warning period has not met overall SAP.

Financial Aid Suspension

Any student on Financial Aid Warning who fails to meet the semester requirements will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and is no longer eligible to receive any form of financial aid, including loans. Financial aid eligibility can be reinstated if a student either:

  1. Enrolls and completes courses raising his/her GPA and/or completion rate to meet the SAP standards (no aid is available for these courses
  2. OR successfully appeals the suspension status.

SAP Appeal Process

A student has the right to appeal a suspension of financial aid due to mitigating circumstances such as, but not limited to, illness, military service, injury, or a special circumstance. The following must be completed and submitted to the Office of Financial Aid:

  • Appeals must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office using the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form.  The appeal must explain why the student failed to make SAP and what has changed in their situation to allow the student to now be academically successful.
  • Adequate documentation verifying the special circumstances must be attached (such as a doctor’s letter or third-party letter).
  • Appeals will be reviewed by the office within two weeks of the date the appeal is received, and notification of the appeal decision will be sent to the student’s school email account.
  • If a student’s SAP Appeal is denied, the student will remain on Financial Aid Suspension until he or she meets the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  • If a student’s SAP appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation and will automatically be placed on a SAP Academic Plan.

Financial Aid Probation

Upon appeal approval, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.  A student on probation must meet with a Student Success Coach from the Student Success Center to create an academic plan. 

As a condition of the financial aid probation, the student must adhere to all requirements outlined in the completed and signed academic plan.   The academic plan will include the performance expectations for the term or terms of the Financial Aid Probation. The academic plan will be reviewed at the end of each term. If the academic plan expectations have been met, the academic plan will continue for the subsequent semester until such time that the student has renewed eligibility due to meeting overall SAP, or has graduated.  If a student fails to meet the expectations listed on the Academic Plan, he/she will be placed back on Financial Aid Suspension and is not eligible to receive financial aid until he/she meets SAP.

Academic Plan

An Academic Plan is specifically designed for a student who does not meet at least one of the SAP standards at the end of the previous payment period and whose financial aid appeal has been granted. 

The requirements within the Academic Plan must be met to regain eligibility.  Students will need to meet the standards of the Academic Plan each payment period until meeting overall SAP standards.  The academic plan may need to be readjusted after a period of non-enrollment. 

At minimum, the Academic Plan will require that the student do the following:

  1. Earn a GPA of 2.3 or greater each payment period
  2. Pass 67% of all hours attempted each payment period

Federal Financial Aid funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.

If a recipient of Title IV grant or loan funds withdraws from a school after beginning attendance, the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance earned by the student must be determined. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned. If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, and for which the student is otherwise eligible, he or she is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received.

A students award will be adjusted to reflect the percentage of aid earned based on the number of days in the semester that have elapsed before the student indicated an intent to withdraw to a university official. Students that withdraw after the 60% mark of the payment period are considered to have earned 100% of their pay period award. If the student receives more Title IV Aid than the amount earned, the school, the student, or both must return the unearned funds in a specified order.  The amount of federal student aid to be returned is determined by subtracting the amount of earned Title IV aid from the amount of Title IV aid that was actually disbursed. If a student receives less federal student aid than the amount earned, a post-withdrawal disbursement will be offered for the earned aid not received.

Funds that must be returned by the school to the federal program, from which the student received aid during the payment period, will be returned in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source:

  • Unsubsidized Direct Loans (other than Direct PLUS Loans)

  • Subsidized Direct Loans

  • Direct PLUS Loans

  • Federal Pell Grants for which a Return is required

  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opp. Grants (FSEOG) for which a return of funds is required

  • TEACH Grants for which a Return is required

  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, for which a Return is required

In some cases, the student is responsible to return unearned Title IV program assistance (not returned by the school). This amount is determined by subtracting the amount returned from school from the amount of unearned funds.  This is the initial amount due from the student as a student does not have to return the full amount of any grant repayment due. The amount of grant overpayment due from a student is limited to the amount by which the original grant overpayment exceeds half of the total Title IV grant funds disbursed and could have been disbursed to the student.

Funds from federal student loans that are part of what a student is required to repay are repaid by the student according to the terms of the student’s promissory notes.

The student is obligated to return any Title IV overpayment in the same order that is required for schools.

Grant overpayments may be resolved through:

  • full and immediate repayment to the institution;

  • repayment arrangements satisfactory to the school; or

  • overpayment collection procedures negotiated with Debt Reso­lution Services.

Additional information on the calculation of refunds (with examples) and the manner in which refunds will be applied against the financial assistance received may be obtained from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Federal Tuition Assistance funds are paid on behalf of the student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is paid. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of tuition assistance funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.

If a recipient of tuition assistance funds withdraws from a school after beginning attendance, the amount of tuition assistance earned by the student must be determined. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned.

A students tuition assistance will be adjusted to reflect the percentage of aid earned based on the number of days in the semester that have elapsed before the student indicated an intent to withdraw to a university official. Students that withdraw after the 60% mark of the payment period are considered to have earned 100% of their pay period award. If the student receives more tuition assistance than the amount earned, the school must return the unearned funds.  The amount of tuition assistance to be returned is determined by subtracting the amount of earned tuition assistance from the amount that was actually disbursed.