Financial Aid

The mission of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is to assist students in obtaining funds to achieve their educational potential. The university provides assistance to students through three basic sources: grants, employment and scholarships. The primary purpose of financial aid is to provide assistance to students who, without such aid, would find it difficult or impossible to attend college. Our primary source of funding is from federally funded programs. To determine eligibility, students must complete a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA); which takes into consideration all factors that affect a family’s financial status. The FAFSA must be completed each year a student plans to attend school. Students may begin the process on January 1^st of each year. The FAFSA may be completed online at www.fafsa.gov. SUSLA’s Title IV code 007686 must be included to ensure that the results are accessible to the SULSA financial aid staff. In addition to completing the FAFSA, students must meet the following requirements:

Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.
Be a U. S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
Have a valid social security number.
Submit an official high school transcript or General Education Development (GED) certificate to the Admissions Office, if a beginning freshman.
Certify that all federal/state student aid awarded will be used for educational purposes only by signing a Statement of Educational Purpose; which is located on the FAFSA.
Must not be in default on a federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant.
If male and aged 18 through 25, register with the Selective Service. Students may give Selective Service permission to register them by checking a box on the FAFSA or via the Internet at http://www.sss.gov.
Must not have earned an Associate Degree or Bachelor’s Degree (pending reset approval).
Must maintain satisfactory academic progress.

A select number of students who apply for federal financial aid must verify the information submitted on the FAFSA application. Therefore, students must be prepared to submit income documents to the Financial Aid Office. All requested documents must be submitted in a timely manner to ensure the prompt processing of financial aid requests.

Students who transfer to Southern University at Shreveport from any other college/university or vocational/technical schools must take the necessary steps to ensure that they will be eligible for financial aid; as it does not automatically transfer. Students should add Southern University at Shreveport code (007686) to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Official academic transcripts from all schools previously attended must be submitted. As soon as possible, transfer applicants should contact the Financial Aid Office to find out what steps should be taken to ensure receipt of aid at Southern University at Shreveport.

The law suspends aid eligibility for students convicted under federal or state law of sale or possession of drugs. Students who have been convicted of drug possession are ineligible for one year from the date of a first conviction, two (2) years after a second conviction, and indefinitely after a third conviction. Students convicted of selling drugs are ineligible for two (2) years from the date of a first conviction and indefinitely after a second conviction. If eligibility is lost, a student may regain eligibility early by successfully completing an acceptable drug rehabilitation program. For more information, visit the Financial Aid webpage on the university’s website.

SAP Requirements: Undergraduate

Southern University will determine the eligibility of a student for financial assistance based on the following:

Cumulative Hours Attempted	Minimum Hours (%) to Complete	Minimum Cumulative GPA
0-25	50%	1.50
26-45	67%	1.75
45 and Above	67%	2.00

Summer Eligibility

Only eligible continuing students and beginning freshmen are considered for financial aid for summer sessions. Scholarships and loans are not available for summer-only enrollees.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The U.S. Department of Education requires colleges and universities to adopt specific guidelines to monitor the academic progress of students receiving federal or state financial assistance. The regulations require the University to monitor student grades and number of hours attempted/earned to determine whether students are eligible to receive financial assistance (See Figure 1). In order to maintain eligibility, a student must not exceed 150% of credits required for the student’s current major. Any student that does not maintain satisfactory academic progress has the right to initiate a financial aid appeal. In such cases, students shall not be paid retroactively for terms where eligibility is lost. Additional information can be obtained on the Financial Aid webpage via the university’s website.

Return of Title IV Funds:

Southern University at Shreveport adheres to the 2008 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965; as amended. The law defines the amount of Title IV grants and loans that the student has earned the right to use. The amount of aid a student has earned is directly related to the length of time he or she has maintained attendance during the semester. The law requires that if a recipient of Title IV assistance withdraws/resigns from an institution before completing more than 60% of the semester in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must calculate the percentage and amount of Title IV assistance the student earned. Unearned Title IV funds must be returned to the Title IV programs by the school and/or the student.