Student Financial Aid

Available Types of Financial Aid

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.

Important Reminder: Federal Student Aid is awarded under the assumption that a student will complete course(s) for the entire semester and/or payment period for which the funds were awarded. If a recipient of Title IV funds stops attending Southeastern Louisiana University after beginning attendance, officially and/or unofficially, in a course, regardless of the reason, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds originally awarded.
Please note that financial aid awards are subject to change based on the receipt of additional aid. Certain types of aid cannot be combined, and adjustments may be necessary to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

For detailed information regarding this policy, please view our Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) Policy. LSUHSC's tuition refund policy determines how much tuition and fees are refunded when a student withdraws from all classes. The university’s Resignation/Withdrawal Policy and Student Fee Refund Policy can be found here.

Federal Loans

►►Note Eligibility for federal loans is determined based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); however, loan applicants must also file promissory notes and complete loan entrance counseling.

Application:

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for a Direct Subsidized Loan.

Eligibility:

  • Student eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans is based on a student’s financial need and other specific eligibility requirements. 
  • Student eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans is based on a student’s financial need and other specific eligibility requirements. 
  • Student must be a US citizen, national, or eligible non-citizen.
  • Student must be enrolled in at least half-time hours.
  • Student  must have a high school diploma, GED, or have completed state-approved home school education.
  • Student must not be in default on another federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant.

Award Procedures/Availability:

  • All students who meet the eligibility requirements are awarded a Direct Subsidized Loan with their Title IV aid package.

Award Range:

Award amounts vary based on need based calculations and enrollment.

Payments/Interest:

This federal loan features a subsidized need based component.  The federal government does not charge interest on these loans while borrowers are enrolled in school at least half-time, during a six-month grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment.

The interest rate is fixed for loans borrowed each academic year based on a 10 year Treasury Note rate plus an add-on percentage (add on percentages are 2.05% for undergraduate, 3.6% for graduate/professional).

Payments are not required while borrowers are enrolled in school at least half-time, during a six-month grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment. 

Origination Fees:

This loan is subject to an origination fee that is set by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal government retains origination fees for direct loans, reducing the net disbursements.  The standard origination fee for Federal Direct Stafford loans is 1%. Federal budget sequester has resulted in fractional  increases to these fees.

Application:

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

Eligibility:

  • Student must be a US citizen, national, or eligible non-citizen.
  • Student must be enrolled in at least half-time hours.
  • Student  must have a high school diploma, GED, or have completed state-approved home school education.
  • Student must not be in default on another federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant.

Award Procedures/Availability:

  • All students who meet the eligibility requirements are awarded a Direct Unsubsidized Loan with their Title IV aid package.

Award Range:

Award amounts vary based on need based calculations and enrollment.

Payments/Interest:

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is not based on a student’s financial need, but students must also meet specific eligibility requirements. Interest is charged throughout the life of the loan. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is repaid in full, including in-school, six-month grace, and deferment periods.

The interest rate is fixed for loans borrowed each academic year based on a 10 year Treasury Note rate plus an add-on percentage (add on percentages are 2.05% for undergraduate, 3.6% for graduate/professional).

Payments are not required while borrowers are enrolled in school at least half-time, during a six-month grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment.  

Origination Fees:

This loan is subject to an origination fee that is set by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal government retains origination fees for direct loans, reducing the net disbursements.  The standard origination fee for Federal Direct Stafford loans is 1%. Federal budget sequester has resulted in fractional  increases to these fees.

Application:

Students must have a completed FAFSA on file for the current aid year. Parents then must complete the Parent PLUS Loan application here.

Eligibility:

  • The Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan for an undergraduate student is not based on financial need and is limited to a parent borrower for a dependent student (A parent is currently defined as a person’s natural or adoptive mother or father, step-parent, or legal guardian.)
  • Parents are required to pass a credit check and meet and meet eligibility requirements.

Credit Check:

The Parent PLUS Loan requires Credit Counseling:

  1. Log in to studentaid.gov using the parent FSA ID
  2. Under the “Loans and Grants” drop down menu at the top of the page, click “PLUS Credit Counseling” on the left side and then click “START”
  3. On the next page, click “START” under “Parent of an eligible dependent undergraduate student(s)”
  4. Complete, sign, and submit the Credit Counseling Session.

Confirmation from the U.S. Department of Education is sent to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships within 3-5 business days once your parent has completed the requirement. 

Award Procedures/Availability:

All students and parents who meet the eligibility requirements are awarded a Direct Parent PLUS Loan.

Award Range:

The annual limit is equal to the student’s cost of attendance, as defined by LSUHSC, minus any other financial aid the student is receiving. Total funding including PLUS must not exceed the student budget established by the school.

Payments/Interest:

The interest rate is fixed for loans borrowed each academic year based on a 10 year Treasury Note rate plus 4.6%. 

Payments can be deffered while the student is enrolled in school at least half-time, during a six-month grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment. 

Origination Fees:

This loan is subject to an origination fee that is set by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal government retains origination fees for direct loans, reducing the net disbursements. The standard origination fee for PLUS loans is 4%. Federal budget sequester has resulted in fractional  increases to these fees.

Application:

Students must have a completed FAFSA on file for the current aid year. Students then must complete the Graduate PLUS Loan application here.

Eligibility:

  • The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for a graduate student is not based on financial need and is limited to a graduate/professional student.
  • Students are required to pass a credit check and meet and meet eligibility requirements.

Credit Check:

The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan requires Credit Counseling:

  1. Log in to studentaid.gov using the student FSA ID
  2. Under the “Loans and Grants” drop down menu at the top of the page, click “PLUS Credit Counseling” on the left side and then click “START”
  3. On the next page, click “START” under “Graduate/Professional Student”
  4. Complete, sign, and submit the Credit Counseling Session.

Confirmation from the U.S. Department of Education is sent to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships within 3-5 business days once you have completed the requirement. 

Award Procedures/Availability:

All students who meet the eligibility requirements are awarded a Direct Parent PLUS Loan.

Award Range:

The annual limit is equal to the student’s cost of attendance, as defined by LSUHSC, minus any other financial aid the student is receiving. Total funding including PLUS must not exceed the student budget established by the school.

Payment/Interest:

The interest rate is fixed for loans borrowed each academic year based on a 10 year Treasury Note rate plus 4.6%. 

Payments can be deffered while the student is enrolled in school at least half-time, during a six-month grace period, or during authorized periods of deferment. 

Origination Fees:

This loan is subject to an origination fee that is set by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal government retains origination fees for direct loans, reducing the net disbursements. The standard origination fee for PLUS loans is 4%. Federal budget sequester has resulted in fractional  increases to these fees.

Dental students demonstrating financial need after assessment of both student and parent resources may receive funding through this program. These loans are also interest free during qualifying in-school, grace and deferment periods, and 5% interest rate during repayment.

► Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Academic Year Limits ◄

Medical and Dental students can generally borrow up to $40,500 for a nine month academic year, with some adjustment for longer and shorter academic years.  Public Health students can borrow up to $32,500 per nine month academic year, with some adjustment for longer and shorter borrowing periods.

Academic year loan limits for other students are as follows.

Dependent sophomore - $6,500   Independent sophomore - $10,500

Dependent junior/senior - $7,500   Independent junior/senior - $12,500

Graduate/professional (other than Medicine Dentistry and Public Health) - $20,500

These amounts may be reduced based on the applicable Student Standard Budget and other aid received. The Subsidized component is limited to the lesser of the Student Standard Budget minus the Expected Family Contribution and other aid received, or as follows.

Sophomore - $4,500 Junior/Senior - $5,500

Federal Direct Loans for graduate/professional students are all unsubsidized.  The availability and duration of subsidy for undergraduate students are limited based on academic program length and prior subsidized Federal Direct Loan borrowing.

Federal Grants

►►Note Eligibility for federal grants is determined based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Application:

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for Pell Grant.

Eligibility:

  • Must have a qualifying Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by the FAFSA.
  • Student must be working on their first bachelors degree.
  • Students are limited to receive the equivalent of twelve semesters in Pell grant. Review more information regarding Pell Lifetime Eligibility. (LEU)
  • Award eligibility varies based on enrollment status

Award Procedures/Availability:

All students who meet the eligibility requirements are awarded Pell Grant with their Title IV aid package.

Award Range:
The maximum award is $7,395 for the 2025-2026 award year. Award amounts are determined by the Federal Pell Grant Schedule which accounts for SAI and enrollment status. 

Application: 

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for FSEOG.

Eligibility:

  • Students must be a Pell Grant recipient.
  • High need students working on their first undergraduate degree.

Award Procedures/Availability:

  • Availability is based on annual federal allocations.
  • LSUHSC generally uses limited available SEOG funds for Summer Term awards.

Award Range:

  • $500 – $1000 for the 25-26 award year. Award amount based on enrolled hours and availability of funds. 

State Grants

Application: 

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for Go Grant.

Eligibility:

  • Students must be a Pell Grant recipient 
  • Students must be a Louisiana resident, or, in some cases, have a non-custodial parent that is a Louisiana resident.
  • Student must be enrolled in at least half-time hours.
  • Students 25 and older by the first calendar year of the award year receive priority consideration

* Due to limited funding, some eligible students may not be funded.

Award Procedure:

LSUHSC New Orleans selects Go Grant Recipients on a semester by semester basis shortly after the 14th class day of each semester.  If available funding is insufficient to fund all eligible candidates for the semester, candidates are funded in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process date order, with students meeting the age priority criteria discussed above receiving some additional priority consideration.  New and continuing students as well as first time and prior Go Grant recipients are considered on an equal basis.  Due to limited available funding, some students receiving Go Grants in the Fall semester may not be funded in the Spring semester.

Summer Term is a trailer (last Term of the academic year) for financial aid purposes for all LSUHSC New Orleans undergraduate students and programs.

For more information regarding Louisiana Go Grant please visit their website. 

Award Range:

State regulations limit Go Grant funding to $1500 per semester, $3000 per academic year.  LSUHSC New Orleans awards funding based on the maximum level for recipients assessed the maximum Tuition for the semester, and half of the maximum level for students assessed less than the maximum Tuition for the semester (due to reduced course load).  Students taking less than six hours in a semester are ineligible for Go Grant funding for the semester.

Selected candidates receive the lesser of the amounts discussed above or an amount that brings total grant funding up to calculated financial need for the semester at the time the candidate is selected for funding.  Students already receiving  calculated financial need form other gift assistance (at the time of Go Grant award) do not receive Go Grant funding.

This is a need based grant program meeting a State legislative mandate to set aside a portion of funds from tuition increases to alleviate the impact of those increases for needy students.

Eligibility:

  • Student must be a Louisiana resident 
  • Student must have assessed full-time tuition and demonstrate significant financial need (defined as n official Student Aid Index (SAI) within the Federal Pell-Eligible range. Due to limited available funds, the school may consider funding only applicants with Zero SAI and no other significant gift assistance.)

Award Procedure:

Hardship is awarded on a first come, first served basis. Posted Hardship Waiver awards will be cancelled in the event the award recipient fails to register at a credit hour level requiring full tuition payment, and may be cancelled in the event the recipient receives other scholarship/grant support.

Award Range:

Award amounts vary based on enrollment.

Scholarships

Louisiana's TOPS is a comprehensive program of state scholarships with three levels: the Opportunity Award; the Performance Award; and the Honors Award. Each award has specific eligibility and selection criteria, including, ACT score, and completion of a specified high school college preparatory core curriculum, and grade point average of the core courses.  TOPS scholars must also meet certain GPA and continuous full-time enrollment requirements to retain TOPS eligibility.  TOPS awards are limited to four academic years (eight semesters).   Click here for more information.

LSUHSC schools award scholarships and grants funded through institutional sources, the LSUHSC Foundation, and generous donations. These scholarships are available based on the submission of a general application to the LSUHSC Foundation.

For the LSUHSC Academic Works Portal, click here.

Private Loans

Private educational loans, also known as alternative loans, are available to students who are not eligible for financial aid or who need additional funds to meet educational expenses; however, Federal Title IV funds may be more favorable than private loans. The student’s eligibility is determined by the cost of attendance minus other financial aid or the annual loan maximum amount as determined by the lender.

Because alternative loans are not guaranteed by the federal government, they must be insured privately. This extra cost is passed on to the borrower in the form of higher fees and interest rates. Additionally, the lender will evaluate your credit history as well as other factors to determine if they will lend to you. You may be denied by one lender and approved by another because of the different ways they interpret your information.

The Office of Financial Aid does not post or verbalize to students the names of private loan lenders. Students are encouraged to visit our private loan comparison chart to verify the interest rate, repayment options, fees charged, and borrower benefits. Our office does not endorse any lenders, receive any incentives, or have any arrangements or agreements with any lenders.

Considerations Before Accepting a Private Loans:

  • If eligible, accept Federal Direct Student Loans first. They have fixed interest rates and various repayment options. The FAFSA must be filed to be considered for Federal Direct Student Loans.
  • We encourage students to consider all financial options before applying for a private loan. Whenever possible, borrow only what is needed to pay for educational expenses and remember – you can always refuse awarded loan amounts or request lower awards.
  • Questions to ask a potential lender:
    • What is the interest rate? Is it fixed or variable?
    • How is the interest rate calculated and capitalized?
    • What fees are applied?
    • Can principal and interest be deferred?
    • Are there minimum enrollment requirements?
    • Is a cosigner required?
    • When does repayment begin?

Loan periods will be adjusted to reflect the current academic term or last term of enrollment within current academic year.

If you have questions concerning a specific private loan program, please contact the lender directly.

Creditors that extend private education loans will provide disclosures at the point of application and loan approval and confirmation. Loan disclosures will contain important information from Section 128(e) of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1638(e)) about loan terms, features, and must disclose information about federal student loan programs that may offer less costly alternatives. Each vendor provides loan disclosures specific to their loan program. You may access disclosure information for loan programs included on our preferred vendor list at ELM SELECT, click on the VIEW button to see more information, and click on the DETAILS tab to see the lender and servicer information to understand lender affiliations and disclosure information.

Prospective borrowers may qualify for loans or other assistance under the Title IV, HEA programs.

Terms of Title IV, HEA program loans may be more favorable than the provisions of the private education loans.

Fee Waivers and Stipends

Fee waivers and stipends are available to qualified students. Contact the program in which you are interested for further information on this type of aid.

Veterans Benefits

The Veterans Administration officer for the Health Sciences Center is the Registrar, who certifies enrollment and academic load of veterans. The Veterans Administration determines the amount.

Other Aid Programs

The Health Sciences Center recognizes and administers other programs over which it has no authority to determine qualifications or amounts. Students are required to notify the Student Financial Aid Office promptly of any aid received from outside sources.

Scholarships offered by persons or organizations who determine the recipient and amount but require the funds to be handled through the Health Sciences Center are welcome.