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Louisiana Grants

Louisiana TOPS Program

TOPS is the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students that provides Louisiana high school graduates meeting specific eligibility requirements with a scholarship if they choose to attend a Louisiana public college or university. Apply for TOPS using the FAFSA.

 

2021-22 TOPS AWARD TOPS
Opportunity
TOPS
Performance
TOPS
Honors
Fall Tuition Award $2,486.55 $2,486.55 $2,486.55
Fall Tuition Stipend $0.00 $200.00 $400.00
Fall Semester Total $2,486.55 $2,686.55 $2,886.55
       
Spring Tuition Award $2,486.55 $2,486.55 $2,486.55
Spring Tuition Stipend $0.00 $200.00 $400.00
Spring Semester Total $2,486.55 $2,686.55 $2,886.55
TOTAL FOR 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR $4,973.10 $5,373.10 $5,773.10
 

Standard Eligibility

In order to be considered for TOPS, the student must attend a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) APPROVED HIGH SCHOOL. All Louisiana public schools are approved.

If the student attends a non-public school, it must be approved by BESE in order for the student to be considered for TOPS. Click here to choose the Approval by Brumfield v Dodd document for the year the student graduated/will graduate from high school to determine if your child’s non-public school is approved.

Each year, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) evaluates the records of all Louisiana high school graduates, whose parents are also Louisiana residents. Eligibility is determined through high school transcripts and student ACT scores. High school graduates with:

  • Completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

LOSFA notifies high school graduates of their eligibility during the summer following their high school graduation.

TOPS OPPORTUNITY AWARD

  • If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.
  • Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 2.50 (GPA computed on TOPS Core Curriculum courses only)
  • Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
  • Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of the prior year state average but never less than a 20 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
  • Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident
  • Meet TOPS Louisiana residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 2 points above standard –Currently 22
*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state/country high school – ACT/SATScore of 3 points above standard –   Currently 23

 

TOPS PERFORMANCE AWARD

  • If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.
  • Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 3.25 (GPA computed on TOPS core courses only) beginning with the graduating class of 2022.
  • Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
  • Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of 23 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
  • Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident
  • Meet TOPS Louisiana Residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 24 (1 point above standard in lieu of core units and GPA)

*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state high school – ACT/SAT Score 26 (3 points above standard in lieu of    core units and GPA)

 

TOPS HONORS AWARD

If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.

  • Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 3.50 (GPA computed on TOPS core courses only) beginning with the graduating class of 2022.
  • Increases to 3.50 TOPS Core Curriculum GPA beginning with the graduating class of 2022.
  • Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
  • Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of 27 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
  • Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
  • Be a US citizen or permanent resident
  • Meet TOPS Louisiana Residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 28 (1 point above standard in lieu of core units and GPA)

*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state high school – ACT/SAT Score 30(3 points above standard in lieu of core units and GPA).

 

Continued Eligibility

The Financial Aid Office recommends all students receiving TOPS renew their FAFSA every year.

  • Students must be enrolled for full-time hours on the 15th day of class to receive payment for TOPS for that semester. You can be paid if you are less than full-time under special circumstances. You should check with the Scholarship Coordinator before assuming you will be paid for less than full-time enrollment.
  • Students must earn 24 credit hours each year (Fall//Spring/Summer) and maintain the required GPA for their TOPS Award.
  • GPA minimum 2.0 cumulative at the end of each fall, intersession or summer semester

 

The following GPA’s will be checked at the end of each Spring semester:

Opportunity Recipient

Below 24 hours earned

2.3 GPA

Opportunity Recipient with 24+ hours earned

2.5 GPA

Performance and Honors Recipients

3.0 GPA

 

This scholarship is available through the LOSFA (Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance). 

For more information about the TOPS program, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.

 

Louisiana "Go Grant" Program 

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL COLLEGE

 LOUSIANA GO GRANT PACKAGING POLICY

(EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2023)

 

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Louisiana Go Grant, a student MUST:

  • Be a Louisiana Resident;*
  • File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
  • Receive a federal Pell grant (in the same semester as the Go Grant);
  • Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from student's Cost of Attendance (COA);
  • Be enrolled as a regular student enrolled in an eligible program on at least a halftime basis (minimum 6 hours)
  • Be meeting SUBR's Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for receipt of Title IV aid; or be approved through the Appeals Process

Award Amounts

Award amounts to eligible students are based on the institution's allocation and their packaging policy. The number of students awarded varies each academic year due to limited funding for the Louisiana Go Grant.  All eligible students will not receive this grant, students are awarded in priority of the packaging policy listed below. Student Awards will not be paid for summer sessions, quarters or terms.   

Maximum and minimum annual award amounts for the 2023-2024 Academic Year:

  • Maximum Annual Award $3000
  • Minimum Annual Award  $1500

SUBR will award the Max. Annual Award ($3000) to students enrolled in twelve (12) or more hours. Students with less than six (6) hours are not eligible for disbursement. Disbursement amounts to students with less than twelve (12), but greater than five (5) enrolled hours will receive a maximum amount of $750 per term/$1,500 per year.

 

Award Calculations

Southern University and A&M College will make a good faith effort to distribute LA Go Grant funding in a manner that reaches students with the most financial need to bring their maximum financial need met with gift aid to 60%.

Example:

COA = $17,500

EFC = $1,500

Need= $16,000

 

Examples of gift aid include Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, TOPS, TOPS stipends and institutional scholarships.

 

PACKAGING POLICY

Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College will package LA Go Grant awards in accordance with the following provisions:.

  • Priority will be given to students who are 25 years or older;
  • Eligibility for and awards to transfer and re-entering students will be made on the same basis as continuing students;
  • SUBR will award LA Go Grant funding in a manner that allows the institution the opportunity to reach and assist the largest population of its "Needy" students.

 

Awards will be made until all allocated funds have been exhausted.

 

Renewal Requirements

  • Must file a FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA at least annually
  • Continue receiving a Federal Pell Grant
  • Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from student's Cost of Attendance (COA);
  • The award can be renewed for subsequent years to a maximum Lifetime award that correlates to that of the Federal Pell Grant.

Residency:  Louisiana resident as of the day the FAFSA is filed and Louisiana is the student's true and fixed domicile as reported on the FAFSA. If student's state of residence on the FAFSA is not reported as LA, but a dependent student claims that a non-custodial parent is a Louisiana resident, or whose parents are Louisiana residents living out of state, LOSFA will determine residency based on the completion, by the parents, of a residency affidavit.

 

For additional information on the LA Go Grant and other State Aid Programs, please visit www.osfa.state.la.gov.

 

Louisiana National Guard Program

  • Up to full Louisiana tuition/fees.
  • Open to Louisiana residents after one full year of service in the
  • Louisiana National Guard as an enlisted person or company grade officer up to the rank of captain.

     Apply through your local Louisiana National Guard Recruiting Officer.

 

LOSFA COMPLETERS PACKAGING POLICY

Effective July 15, 2022

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) Completers Grant program. The Completers Grant is for students who    are close to completing a degree in high-demand fields such as healthcare, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This grant provides scholarships to students who are within 30 credit hours of completing their degrees, and at Southern University and A & M College eligible students will have the ability to receive funding no more than two consecutive semesters.

To be eligible for the Completers Grant, a student must:

  • Be a Louisiana resident
  • Be eligible to receive funds through Cares Act/CRRSA Act/ARP
  • Must meet SUBR's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy for receipt of Title IV aid;
  • Must NOT be in DEFAULT loan status
  • Be enrolled through the 14th class day in at least 1 credit hour
  • Must have completed 90 credit hours of receiving their 1 st Bachelor's Degree (as confirmed by Registrar)
  • Have a remaining financial BALANCE after (federal, state, institutional grant and/or scholarship aid) has been applied to fee bill.

 

Application Process:

 

  1. The Registrar’s Office will provide the Student Financial Aid Office with a list of students that have completed a graduation application each semester which confirms students are within 30 hours of completing their degree.
  2. Students can self-identify their Completers Grant eligibility by reviewing the criteria online.
  3. Students will be required to submit a copy of their curriculum plan provided by their Program Director if they self-identify.

 

Priority for the Completers Grant is as follows:

  • First, to those students that have a FAFSA on file and have exhausted federal grant and state eligibility (TOPS, Go Grant etc.).
  • Second, to those students that have a FAFSA on file and have limited federal aid and other sources of aid.
  • Third to students that do not have FAFSA on file and have a remaining balance on their fee bill.
Award Amounts

Maximum and minimum annual award amounts are:

  1. Maximum Annual Award $8,500
  2. Minimum Annual Award $100  

Awards are limited any charges on a student's fee bill including but limited to tuition, fees and instructional materials that are posted on the student's fee billing statement. Awards will be posted to student accounts to cover a portion of tuition and fees as funding remains available. The award shall not exceed the student's cost of attendance.

 

Disbursement of Completers Grant Funds

Disbursement of Completers Grant funds will take place once the check is received from LOSFA and posted to the fund maintenance account. Individual funds will be posted to student accounts according to the Payment Roster from the LOSFA website.

NOTE: Student must be meeting ALL eligibility requirements at the time of disbursement.

Virtual Advisor