LSU awards scholarships in the form of cash awards, tuition and nonresident fee exemptions, room and board, and employment opportunities to students who meet qualifications.
In addition to the scholarship programs, the Office of Enrollment Management administers a number of federally funded and state funded financial aid programs. The total amount of funding disbursed annually through these programs is approximately $300 million.
LSU Scholarships
We value our students as more than just a test score, and we are committed to providing access to one of the nation’s most valued degrees for all students. LSU is consistently ranked a Top Value by Kiplinger, Forbes, Money and SmartAsset.
Our holistic scholarship review process allows for a comprehensive evaluation of each applicant. Several factors are weighed in the scholarship awarding process, including, but not limited to: academic transcripts, standardized test scores, family background, achievements in and out of the classroom, and letters of recommendation from an academic source, involvement, leadership, service, and demonstration of financial need.
Scholarships are awarded to incoming freshmen, transfer students, Louisiana residents, and out-of-state residents. We are committed to being a smart investment in your educational journey, and as a result, scholarship dollar amounts have historically been adjusted and increased year over year.
The Common Application is used for both admissions and scholarship review, so all future students are encouraged to apply by the published deadlines.
Awards range in value from $500 per year to a full ride.
- Merit-Based Scholarships
- Legacy Scholarships
- Major-Specific Scholarships
- Study Abroad Scholarships
- Research Scholarships
- Work Study Awards
- Need-Based Awards
- Federal Grants
- Federal Loans
- LSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation to award the prestigious Stamps Scholarship.
LSU scholarship recipients who are considering dropping below full-time status should contact the Office of Enrollment Management to determine effects on scholarship retention. You may have the option to place your scholarship on hold.
LSU scholarship recipients who feel that extenuating circumstances have prevented you from meeting the retention requirements for a scholarship, you may be eligible for a scholarship appeal. The appeal must be submitted with accompanying documentation by the deadline date given. All supporting documents will be retained in the student’s file. All appeals should be returned to scholarships@lsu.edu
LSU has launched a new online scholarship management system called Blackbaud Award Management. This system will enable you to search for and apply to various opportunities funded through the generosity of private donors to LSU. The Blackbaud Award Management System has revolutionized the way students apply to privately funded scholarships on the LSU campus.
To access these opportunities, you will log in to this one-stop-shop by using your myLSU credentials. We invite you to apply for scholarships that may be available to you and specifically match your unique profile.
All privately funded scholarships will be administered within the new system.
Graduate Scholarships and Awards
For additional information on scholarships and awards for students in the Graduate School or professional schools, see the publications issued by those divisions and The Graduate School section of this catalog.
Federal Financial Aid Programs
LSU administers all Title IV federal programs which are based on a student’s demonstrated financial need. Funds received from the federal programs help students to cover school expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. All such programs are subject to regulations authorized by the United States Department of Education, as well as university policies consistent with these federal regulations and are subject to change.
Detailed information on these programs can be found on the Internet at www.lsu.edu/financialaid.
Eligibility for Financial Aid
All students must meet the following criteria to apply for Title IV federal aid—grants, work study, and loans:
- Be enrolled as a regular student in a degree-granting or certificate program.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen (permanent resident).
- Be enrolled at least half-time (most programs—regular semesters: undergraduate, six hours; graduate, five hours).
- Not be in default on prior student loans or owe a refund on a federal grant.
- Be making satisfactory academic progress as described in the section, Satisfactory Academic Progress for Purposes of Financial Aid Eligibility.
Application for Federal Financial Aid
Students who wish to apply for the programs described in this section should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available online at fafsa.gov. It is recommended that the application be filed no later than February 15 for summer or fall enrollment or October 1 for spring enrollment. These applications cover aid awarded for the upcoming academic year (beginning with the summer term) and application must be made each year.
Once the Office of Enrollment Management has received your FAFSA, additional documentation will be requested through your myLSU accounts. To receive a loan for the academic year, the deadline to return all required documents is the first business day of May.
Once all documents are processed, an award letter will be sent via the student’s myLSU account to allow them to accept or decline their aid.
Please note that students will not receive an award notice until all verification documents have been properly submitted and processed.
For additional information on these programs, as well as, information regarding how financial need is determined and an LSU student’s cost of attendance, visit www.lsu.edu/financialaid or Financial Aid & Scholarships Consumer Information.
Grants
- Federal Pell Grants—Undergraduate students working toward their first degree are eligible for consideration. Eligibility is determined by a federal need analysis formula.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants—Undergraduate students working toward their first degree, who show exceptional financial need may qualify. Funds are limited.
- Louisiana Go Grants—Undergraduate students working toward their first degree, who have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid (‘gift aid’) from student’s Cost of Attendance (COA). Funds are limited.
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant—Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in an eligible program, maintain a 3.25 GPA, and commit to teach in high-need filed, at a low-income school, for at least four years within eight years of completing the program for which the grant was awarded.
Campus-Based Programs
- Federal Work-Study Program—Campus jobs provided to full-time students, not on academic probation, who show financial need. Students earn an hourly wage (beginning at minimum wage) and are paid every two weeks. Students who are awarded Federal Work-Study employment have the option of choosing job sites designated as community service agencies. Funds are limited.
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans
LSU participates in the following Loan Programs:
- Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans—Based on financial need, the interest on this loan does not accrue while the student is in school. Payments are deferred until six months after the student ceases being enrolled on at least a half-time basis.
- Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans—This program enables students to borrow, regardless of need. Interest will accrue on this loan while the student is enrolled, and may be paid or capitalized as agreed by the borrower and the lender.
- Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)—This program allows parents of dependent students to borrow per year up to the cost of education, less any other aid. The repayment period begins on the day the loan is disbursed, and the first installment to the DOE is due within 60 days of that date. This loan is not based on need.
- Direct Graduate PLUS Loans (GRAD PLUS)—This program is a loan for graduate and professional students that are taken in their own name. This loan will give these students a valuable federal loan alternative to private loans. Just like parent borrowers, these students will be able to borrow under the PLUS program up to the cost of education less other aid received. In addition, these borrowers will have to meet the same credit eligibility requirements that apply to parent borrowers.
Loan disbursements normally occur the week prior to the start of classes. Depending on the award package, loans will be disbursed accordingly: (1) summer, fall, and spring loans will occur in three equal disbursements; (2) fall and spring loans will occur in two equal disbursements; and (3) semester only loans will disburse in one disbursement at the start of the semester. All federal aid funds are applied directly to your student account in the Office of Bursar Operations. If the amount credited to your account is greater than the amount you owe to the university, you will be issued a refund for the credit balance. Allow up to seven business days for the Office of Bursar Operations to process a direct deposit or refund check.
When a student borrower graduates, resigns, or otherwise ceases to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis at LSU, he/she is required to attend an exit counseling session. The online session explains what the borrower should expect upon entering loan repayment. Entrance and Exit counseling can be accomplished at www.studentloans.gov.
Loan Cancellation
A student (or a parent in the case of a PLUS loan) may cancel one or more of their loan(s) or disbursements of their loan(s) within 14 days from the disbursement day.
Contact the Office of Enrollment Management for information on how to complete this process. Exceptions to the timeframe above may be made on a case-by-case basis.
Satisfactory Academic Progress for Purposes of Financial Aid Eligibility
Undergraduate Students
In order to receive financial aid, a student must be making “satisfactory academic progress. For the purpose of participating in any of the federal student aid programs, the LSU Office of Enrollment Management has established the following policy for determining satisfactory academic progress for undergraduate students:
- Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester.
- Students must earn at least 67 percent of all hours attempted.
- Students may only receive financial aid for a maximum of 180 attempted credit hours (243 for a five year curricula).
- Students pursuing multiple bachelor’s degrees may only receive financial aid for a maximum timeframe of 150 percent of the minimum hours to complete the degree minus the hours completed as general education courses.
If these established criteria are not met at the end of the fall, spring, or summer semesters, students may seek to appeal if mitigating circumstances affected their academic performance. For a student to re-establish eligibility they must either (1) receive an approved appeal or (2) meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements at the end of the next semester in which they enroll. The complete Satisfactory Academic Progress policy may be viewed at www.lsu.edu/financialaid.
Graduate/Professional Students
For the purpose of participating in any of the federal student aid programs, the LSU Office of Enrollment Management has established the following policy for determining satisfactory progress for graduate and professional students:
Graduate Students:
- Students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester.
- Students must earn at least 67 percent of all hours attempted.
- Students may only receive financial aid for a maximum of 45 attempted credit hours.
- Students pursuing multiple master’s degrees will be allowed an additional 150 percent of the published length of the academic program.
- Doctorate students may receive financial aid for a maximum of seven years from the first semester of their program.
Professional Students:
- Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester.
- Students must earn at least 67 percent of all hours attempted.
- Students pursuing DVM degrees may only receive financial aid for a maximum of 267 attempted credit hours.
- JD/CL students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 141 attempted credit hours.
If these established criteria are not met at the end of the fall, spring, or summer semesters, students may seek to appeal if mitigating circumstances affected their academic performance. Students are notified when they are not considered to be making satisfactory academic progress at the end of each semester. For a student to re-establish eligibility they must either (1) receive an approved appeal or (2) meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements at the end of the next semester in which they enroll. The complete Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is available online.
Resignations/Unofficial Withdrawals
Students who receive financial aid funds and then resign or unofficially withdraw (cease attendance) during the first 60 percent of the enrollment period will be required to repay all or part of the aid they received. The amount of aid that must be returned is based on the period of time the student remained enrolled. Detailed information regarding the return of funds and post-withdrawal disbursements, if applicable, is located at www.lsu.edu/financialaid.
Federal aid must be returned within 45 days to the appropriate programs in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, PLUS (Parent) Loans, Graduate PLUS Loan, Pell Grants, and SEOG. The amount of aid to be returned will be calculated at the time of resignation. For unofficial withdrawals, the amount will be calculated at the end of the enrollment period. Until this obligation is settled, requests for academic transcripts will not be processed and any further financial aid may be in jeopardy.
Campus Employment
Those students who want to work on campus, but do not qualify on the basis of financial need, may seek regular student employment by contacting various departments on campus. Only full-time students who are not on academic probation are eligible to hold campus jobs. Graduating seniors who are part-time in their final semester may have permission to work in a campus job. The LSU Olinde Career Center location in the Student Union provides assistance to those who seek part-time, internship, co-op, or volunteer positions on and off campus. Graduate students should inquire about the availability of assistantships in their departmental offices. For additional information, visit Olinde Career Center.
Short-Term LSU Loans
Full-time students, who have completed registration, and have not received a credit balance check, may apply for short-term Hiram Student Loans in the amount of $300 for undergraduate students and $500 for graduate/professional students. Students must not be on academic probation to receive these loans. Students must have repaid any prior short-term loans to be eligible. Loans are made starting on the first day of classes and continues for the first two weeks of classes. Students are permitted a maximum of 60 days to repay the loan in full. A 2 percent service charge is assessed on the amount borrowed. This 2 percent service charge is equivalent to an annual interest rate of 12 percent.
Hiram Student Loans are to be repaid at the Office of Bursar Operations, 125 Thomas Boyd Hall, on or before the maturity date shown on the promissory note signed by the student at the time the loan was negotiated. Students who fail to repay Hiram Student Loans by the maturity date may jeopardize their chances of receiving future loans.
Accounts that must be turned over to LSU’s attorneys for collection are assessed an additional collection fee. All international students who are interested in Hiram Loans should contact the International Student Office prior to receiving loans or working in jobs on campus.
Veteran’s Benefits
The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, Pleasant Hall, assists students who qualify for various Veterans Affairs educational benefits, Louisiana National Guard, or Dependents’ State Aid exemptions. Students should contact the Office of Veterans Affairs to request processing of enrollment certifications for each term they will receive the benefit.
More information is available at the Office of Veterans Affairs website: www.lsu.edu/vetaffairs.
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