Considerations for Students Who Drop A Class But Remain Full-Time During A Semester

This information is provided to the student for general information purposes only. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the relevant departments for specific information pertinent to the student’s individual situation.

  • Undergraduate students who carry 12 or more hours of resident credit in a regular semester or six hours in a summer term are considered full-time.
  • A student’s financial aid and/or scholarship or TOPS eligibility could be impacted by dropping a class, even if the student is not dropping below full-time status. Students receiving aid and/or scholarships are encouraged to consult with the appropriate departments on this form prior to dropping a class.
  • To graduate in four years, a student should complete at least 15 hours per semester.
  • Dropping certain courses during the semester may affect students’ Comprehensive Academic Tracking (CATS) status resulting in a mid or end of semester hold. Students should refer to their myLSU account to view their CATS status.
    • CATS holds prevent students from registering for upcoming terms or making changes to a current schedule.
    • Students must meet with an academic counselor to discuss and resolve a CATS hold.
    • Students who receive two consecutive end of semester CATS holds must either change majors or appeal to the senior college offering their declared major to request to remain in the degree program.
  • The LSU W policy allows students a maximum of 10 course withdrawals during their academic career. Withdrawals cannot exceed this number unless authorized by the dean of the student’s college, in which case the student must then meet with an academic advisor to discuss progress toward the degree. 
    • “W” grades earned via the following methods do not count in the number of drops permitted:
      • Resignation from the university.
      • Courses dropped during the summer term or wintersession.
      • Courses offered through the Division of Continuing Education that students drop.
 

Students who have utilized all of their allotted “W” grades in their hours tier can contact an academic counselor to explore
if they are eligible to submit an appeal to exceed the “W” limit.

  • If MATH 1550 is dropped and the student would like to retake the course in a future semester, course eligibility based on the ALEKS exam must still be met. ALEKS exam scores expire after 6 months and the exam may have to be retaken to be eligible for MATH 1550. Students should consult the LSU Math Department website [math.lsu.edu/ugrad/ALEKS] for more information on ALEKS score eligibility time-lines.
  • If a prerequisite course is dropped, the student will no longer be eligible to take the next course that requires the dropped course as a prerequisite. The student should revisit their future semester schedule(s) and make appropriate adjustments if needed via their myLSU account.
  • Admission to a senior college may be delayed if a course required for admission is dropped. Students should consult the admission requirements for their senior college in the LSU General Catalog prior to dropping a course.

Departments That May Need to Be Contacted

Prior to dropping a class, students are encouraged to consult the appropriate offices to determine how they will be affected.

LSU Financial Aid & Scholarships

1146 Pleasant Hall / 225-578-3103 | financialaid@lsu.edu  | scholarships@lsu.edu  | www.lsu.edu/financialaid 

Students receiving federal financial aid (loans or grants), institutional scholarships, or other forms of financial aid should contact the LSU Financial Aid & Scholarships office to determine potential impact on award eligibility prior to dropping.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV financial aid programs to have a SAP policy. The requirements of this policy apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid. Students can visit lsu.edu/sap for the full policy. Students must meet SAP policy requirements to continue receiving aid:

  • Students must meet SAP minimum GPA requirements at the end of each semester which are available at www.lsu.edu/sap.
  • Students must earn 67% of the credit hours they attempt. Courses which a student fails or withdraws from count as attempted but not earned.
  • Students must complete a bachelor’s degree within 160 attempted hours.

Students not meeting SAP requirements are notified by LSU Financial Aid and Scholarships. If extenuating circumstances prevented a student from meeting requirements, an SAP appeal may be filed. If a student has an approved appeal, their SAP plan must be followed. Students on SAP plans must contact LSU Financial Aid to determine if their SAP plan will be affected prior to dropping a course.

TOPS Scholarship Recipients

mylosfa.la.gov/students-parents/scholarships-grants/tops/ | 1-800-259-5626 | custserv@la.gov

The TOPS scholarship is administered by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOFSA). Students should contact LOFSA with questions regarding TOPS eligibility.

TOPS calculations for GPA and number of hours earned varies from LSU calculations. Therefore, students should create a LOFSA student account at to review information on their TOPS status. The student’s account updates 2-3 weeks after LSU grades have posted. Accounts can be created at mylosfa.la.gov/applications/student-hub/.

TOPS Reminders:

  • Students must be full-time through the 14th class day each semester to remain eligible for TOPS. If a student drops to part-time status on or before the 14th class day, TOPS will be revoked. Students may drop below full-time status on the 15th class day or later.
  • Students must earn 24 credit hours by the end of summer intersession to remain eligible for TOPS.
  • Students must meet applicable GPA requirements and can contact LOSFA for information on these requirements.
  • TOPS does not honor plus/minus grading or grade exclusion.

 

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