Financial Aid

General Eligibility for Financial Aid

To be eligible for federal assistance a student must:

  1. Be accepted for enrollment and be in good standing, making satisfactory progress

  2. 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

  3. Not owe a refund on a federal grant previously received

  4. Meet other eligibility requirements, such as those related to selective service registration, citizenship, prior drug convictions, and aggregate aid limits

Satisfactory Academic Progress

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. For a full description of each school's policies consult the appropriate section of the LSUHSC-Catalog/Bulletin.

The Health Sciences Center requires that all work towards a bachelors, graduate, or professional degree be completed in not more than eight calendar years and that all work toward a certificate or an associate degree be completed in not 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.

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.

Selection for Verification

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.

Notification of Verification Selection

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.

Deadlines and Consequences of Non-Compliance

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.

Notification of Verification Results

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.

Potential Fraud and Falsified Information

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.