LSU will be using student attendance from the first three weeks of the semester to affirm their eligibility for financial aid.

Students are required to have attended or participated in each of their courses at least once by Friday to remain eligible for financial aid.

If a student did not attend or participate in each of their classes by that point, their aid must be returned for any class they did not attend.

“Failure to verify attendance for your students may result in loss of federal financial aid for the student and could create outstanding account balances,” read the office’s email to faculty from Aug. 18.

Student attendance or participation could include physical presence in class, completing a Moodle activity or participating in an academic-related activity, per their instructor’s directions.

“Students who receive federal aid funds must attend all courses to keep financial assistance,” the university’s Financial Aid and Scholarships class attendance policy reads. “Failure to attend class could result in a reduction or cancellation of aid. A student could be required to repay some or all of their financial aid, and they could lose their eligibility for future financial assistance.”

The requirement is in adherence to institutional and federal guidelines, but the university’s transition to Workday Student has streamlined this process, a spokesperson said.

The policy has been on the Office of Financial Aid’s website since 2017, according to the site’s archives accessed through the Wayback Machine, though students and professors have observed that it seems to be more strictly enforced this year.

“This process helps ensure the accuracy of enrollment records for all students and supports compliance with federal regulations, including those related to financial aid,” the email to faculty read.