The Office of Financial Aid provides information for and administers all aid programs on campus. Application portals, eligibility criteria, information on types of aid, forms and frequently asked questions can be found on the office website. Contact information and a staff directory is also available.
- Eligibility
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Scholarships
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.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
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):
Undergraduate
- Grade point average- maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
- Pace of progression- passing 66.67% of all hours attempted.
- 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. (10 hours earned divided by 15 attempted credits = 66.67%)
- Maximum time frame - Total attempted hours must not exceed 150% of the published length of a student’s degree program.
- Example: If the total credits in the student’s degree plan are 120 hours, then the 150% maximum is 180 hours. (120 x 1.5= 180)
Graduate
- Grade point average- maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Pace of progression- passing 67% of all hours attempted.
- Example: If the total credits attempted in the fall equal 6 credit hours, then the student must pass 4 credit hours or more to maintain 66.67% completion rate. (4 hours earned divided by 6 attempted credits = 66.67%)
- Maximum time frame - Total attempted hours must not exceed 150% of the published length of a student’s degree program.
- Example: If the total credits in the student’s degree plan are 36 hours, then the 150% maximum is 54 hours. (36 x 1.5= 54)
All undergraduate 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 a 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 who 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: A student may receive aid for a completed course they wish to retake only once. Please see the 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.
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SAP Review Status
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:
- Enrolls and completes courses raising his/her GPA and/or completion rate to meet the SAP standards (no aid is available for these courses), or
- Successfully appeals the suspension status.
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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 in their Financial aid LORA student portal. 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, they will be placed back on Financial Aid Suspension and is not eligible to receive financial aid until they meet SAP.
Academic Plan
Graduate/professional students are not required to complete an academic plan. Graduate students are directed to the Graduate Academic Actions section of the Bulletin on academic standing and the requirements for removing themselves from academic probation.
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:
- Earn a GPA of 2.3 or greater each payment period
- Pass 67% of all hours attempted each payment period
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Academic Scholarships
A scholarship is a commitment from Loyola that a portion of the tuition cost for an academic period will be covered by gift aid. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding students with superior academic records and national test scores. Loyola may consider that gift aid from other sources satisfies all or part of a student’s scholarship eligibility.
Annual Scholarships
Loyola University New Orleans, through the generous support of alumni and other donors, offers a number of named scholarships for students with a range of majors and from a wide variety of backgrounds. Four year academic scholarships are automatically renewed for up to eight semesters if the student maintains satisfactory academic progress. Scholarships do not apply to summer session courses or to non-Loyola study abroad programs. Please notify the Office of Financial Aid of any other scholarships you might receive. (Note: scholarship awards may be adjusted to ensure compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations.)
If you have questions about scholarships please email finaid@loyno.edu