General Eligibility for Financial Aid
To receive financial aid administered through the Financial Aid Office, you must:
1. Be admitted to a degree seeking program at Loyola Marymount University. Students working towards a second Bachelor’s degree are only eligible for the Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford loan programs.
2. Decide if you would like to apply for financial aid at LMU or from your other institution if you are attending another college, university, vocational or other school. Federal rules permit students to receive financial aid from only one school at a time.
3. Be a citizen, permanent resident of the United States or other eligible non-citizen as detailed in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) instructions for federal state and university funded financial aid programs. Limited scholarships and assistantships are available for international students.
4. All students who complete the FAFSA and who indicate they are U.S. citizens will have their citizenship status undergo a “match” with the Social Security Administration. Students who do not pass this match will be notified on their Student Aid Report (SAR). Students will be informed that they will need to submit additional documentation to the Financial Aid Office to verify their citizenship status. Those students who indicate on the FAFSA they are eligible non-citizens will undergo a match with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCSIS) in the Department of Homeland Security. Those students who do not pass the match will be notified on their Student Aid Report (SAR) that they will need to submit documentation to the Financial Aid Office to verify their status. Eligible documents may be sent for secondary confirmation to UCSIS for confirmation.
Note: Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and Marshall Islands.
Citizens of Palau are eligible only for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant or Federal Work-Study (FWS). Citizens of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. None of these students are eligible for Federal Direct Student Loans.
4. Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) according to SAP policy for financial aid recipients.
5. The maximum semesters for transfer students will be based on the number of units accepted for transfer. For example a transfer student for whom 60 units (junior grade level) are accepted will be considered to have completed 4 semesters and will have 4 remaining semesters of eligibility.
6. Not be enrolled beyond eight semesters. Students who require enrollment to complete a Bachelor’s degree beyond eight semesters (4 years) are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Student and Parent Loans. Students must appeal to be considered for other types of aid beyond 8 semesters.
7. Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration to receive federal funded student aid.
8. Have received a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or you must pass an independently administered test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or meet other state standards approved by the U.S. Department of Education. All freshmen are required to submit a final transcript verifying receipt of high school degree. Transfer students must self-certify that they have received a high school degree on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
9. Be enrolled full-time for most forms of university funded financial aid or at least half-time for federal and state funded financial aid programs. Students who enroll less than half-time are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.
10. Resolve any drug conviction issues. See the Drug Convictions and Financial Aid Eligibility section.
11. Not owe a refund to any federal grant or loan or be in default on any federal loan.
12. Be enrolled for coursework at LMU although certain financial aid is available for study abroad.
For more information on academic requirements, review the current Graduate Bulletin.