Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid - Loyola University New Orleans

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Law Students

Federal regulations require that schools monitor the academic progress of each applicant for federal financial assistance and that the school certify that the applicant is making satisfactory academic progress toward earning his/her degree. This determination of progress must be made after each term and before the financial aid office disburses any federal aid funds for the subsequent semester.

Students who are aware of learning or other disabilities should immediately contact the Office of Disability Services so that appropriate accomodations can be made. A student with a documented disability and functional limitations is still held to the same academic expectations as other students. If the student is registered with the Office of Disability Services and receiving appropriate accomodations, the student should be able to maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility purposes.

Pursuant to Federal regulations, the following constitutes Loyola's policy on satisfactory academic progress for law students.

Maximum hours to earn degree:

The program must be completed within five academic years.

Satisfactory Progress Definition

Within the five years, a student is required to complete 18 hours per academic year. (here, academic year would include the fall, spring, and following summer semesters.) Where a student's academic record is vacated by action of the Law faculty, and the student allowed to begin anew, the student's five year period also begins anew unless there has been less than a one year break in the student's enrollment. Where the break in enrollment is less than one full year, the voided work is considered in determining progress.

Procedures:

Each aid recipient's record must be evaluated at the end of each term to determine that the student is meeting the standards described above. If the student has reached the maximum number of scheduled hours without earning the degree, the student must be excluded from further participation in federal financial aid programs.

If the student has not reached the maximum time frame and it is determined that the student has fallen below the required progress standards, the student must be placed on Financial Aid Probation and notified that his/her continued eligibility for federal financial aid assistance is in jeopardy>

Federal regulation require that these standards apply to all Law students, even to first time applicants who have previously enrolled at Loyola, or to those who have not been formally placed on Financial Aid probation.

Financial Aid Probation

The student's financial aid notification letter will require that the student complete all courses scheduled with passing grades (no grades of "W", "F", or "I") until his/her completion ratio has reached the required level. The notification could also include the requirement that the student schedule additional hours.

If the student on financial aid probation meets the terms of the probation, he/she will be permitted to continue to participate in the federal student aid programs for a subsequent semester. If the student does not meet the terms of the probation, the student will forfeit eligibility for all federal financial aid programs.

Loss of eligibility due to lack of satisfactory progress:

A student who has lost eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs for reasons of academic progress can regain that eligibility only by enrolling at Loyola at his/her own expense and demonstrating that he/she is capable of completing a semester without any failures, incompletes or withdrawals and showing the ability to complete his degree requirements in a more regular fashion. The mere passage of time will not ordinarily restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory progress.

Grade Point Averages:

The qualitative standards for making progress will not normally be monitored by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, but by the Law faculty in accordance with the policies of the Law School. However, in accordance with federal regulations after the second year of enrollment at Loyola, the student must have at least a 2.0 cumulative g.p.a. to be considered making satisfactory progress. Students who do not meet this test will be ineligible to participate in federal financial aid programs until the deficiency is corrected. There is no probationary period attached to this requirement except that which may be provided by future federal statute.

Right to Appeal:

You have the right to appeal any decision of ineligibility to continue to receive financial assistance. Your appeal must be filed within 30 days of notification that aid eligibility has been lost, and it must be made in writing to the Director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. The appeal may not be based upon your need for the assistance of your lack of knowledge that your assistance was in jeopardy. An appeal would normally be based upon some unusual situation or condition which prevented you from passing more of your courses, or which necessitated that you withdraw from classes.

If you do not have grounds for an appeal, or if your appeal is denied, you may still be able to regain your eligibility for future semesters. This is done by enrolling at Loyola at your own expenses -- without financial assistance -- and negotiating a contract with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, in advance, for the conditions under which eligibility may be restored.

Information for:

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students

Law Students

Non-Traditional Students

Early Awareness

Revised: November 2, 2004