TOPS & FAFSA for 2015 Graduates

LOSFA’s Vision is to be Louisiana’s First Choice for College Access

Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA)

TOPS & FAFSA for 2015 Graduates



• Citizenship• A student must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident

who is eligible to apply for citizenship• Residency• A student who has resided in Louisiana, completed their

last two full years of high school in an approved school and graduated, as certified by the high school, shall have met the residency requirement for TOPS OR

• 24 consecutive months for a parent or custodian of a dependent student

• Criminal Convictions • Must not have any final criminal convictions. This does

exclude misdemeanor traffic violations



TOPS Core Curriculum – 19 UnitsFor students graduating in 2014 - 2017

• English – 4 Units• Math – 4 Units• Science – 4 Units• Social Studies – 4 Units• Foreign Language – 2 Units (same language)

• Fine Arts – 1 Unit (or 1 Performance, Studio, Visual Art or Speech III & IV)

• Please visit our Web site for more details



ACT• Without Penalty: April 18, 2015

• Loss of 1 semester eligibility: June 13, 2015

• Students who fail to achieve a qualifying ACT score by July 1 of the graduating year shall not be considered for an award

• Highest composite score will be considered

• TOPS does not consider the essay portion of the ACT when calculating the composite score needed to qualify

• List TOPS code 1595 & your SSN on the ACT



SAT• An equivalent SAT score may be substituted for the ACT

score

• SAT Test Deadlines– Without Penalty: March 14, 2015– Loss of 1 semester eligibility: May 2, 2015 and June 6, 2015

• Students must use the SAT scholarship code 9019 on the registration form

• TOPS does not consider the essay portion of the SAT when calculating the composite score to qualify



Opportunity, Performance & Honors Awards

• GPA on a 4.00 scale (not rounded) on 19.0 core units

• Must complete the 19 core units (for 2014 – 2017 grads)

• Maximum of eight semesters or twelve quarters

• A TOPS award may be combined with other forms of financial aid up to the “Cost of Attendance” for the institution

• Provides amount equal to tuition to a public school in Louisiana OR the average cost of a public education tuition to a private LAICU school – ($2324 per semester for 2014-2015)



TOPS Eligible Institutions: LAICU

• Centenary College• Dillard University• Louisiana College• Loyola University• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary• Our Lady of Holy Cross College• Our Lady of the Lake College• St. Joseph Seminary College• Tulane University• Xavier University



4 Year TOPS Awards• Opportunity Award (tuition amount)

– 2.50 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale– A minimum score of a 20 on the ACT (940 SAT)

• Performance Award (tuition plus $400 annual stipend)– 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale– A minimum score of 23 on the ACT (1050 SAT)

• Honors Award (tuition plus $800 annual stipend)– 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale– A minimum score of 27 on the ACT (1210 SAT)



2 Year TOPS Tech Award• Eligibility Requirements:

2.50 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale A minimum score of 17 on the ACT (810 on the SAT) Completion of one of the Tech Core Option curriculums or the OPH

curriculum

Eligible schools: Louisiana Technical College Campuses A community college if the student is enrolled in a 2-year Tech program Approved Cosmetology and Proprietary schools

• Examples of eligible programs:Medical Assistant Computer Network TechnologyPharmacy Technician Construction Technology ManagementCulinary Arts Digital MediaCriminal Justice Office Administration



TOPS Application

• Apply Jan 1 – July 1 of graduation year– FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student

Aid) – www.fafsa.ed.gov• Must be completed if the student is eligible for

federal grant aid (Pell Grant)• Must be completed if the student is seeking any

other form of financial aid• The only application needed for TOPS



FAFSA Information Needed• PIN Number and Signatures• Student Demographic Information• Independent/Dependent Student Status• Parent Demographic Information• Student and Parent Financial Information• Student and Parent Tax Information

– You can estimate your taxes if you file late• School Information (add a LA school first)• Student Aid Report & making corrections



TOPS Processing Cycle• STEP 1 – Student takes ACT

– ACT scores are sent to LOSFA electronically

• STEP 2 – Student files FAFSA (Jan 1-July 1)– FAFSA data is sent to LOSFA electronically

• STEP 3 – Student completes 19 core units before graduation– Academic Records from the high schools are sent to LOSFA

electronically

• STEP 4 – Student is determined eligible for TOPS– Students can create a Louisiana Award system account on our Web

site to check their TOPS eligibility in June– Students will be mailed an award letter (by mid-July)– College will see student online at TOPS Master Roster

• STEP 5 – College will send LOSFA a bill– Students enrolled full-time through the 14th class day



Award Details• TOPS Recipients serving in the National Guard will receive:

tuition exemption equal to the TOPS award amount, any applicable TOPS stipend and $600 annually for books and supplies

• Students who join the military have 1 year from their date of separation to enroll in college

• Returning Out of State Students – cannot use TOPS out of state, can come back and use remaining semesters if continuation requirements were met

• Graduate Study – can use remaining semesters



• Award Letter• TOPS recipients should familiarize themselves with the Rights and

Responsibilities included with their award letter• TOPS recipients are personally responsible for knowing and

complying with the TOPS continuation requirements

• Award Acceptance• Students have one year in which to enroll in a Louisiana approved post-

secondary institution• Must be continuously enrolled on a full-time basis during the Fall and

Spring semesters or Fall, Winter, Spring quarters

• Award Retention• 24 Hours each academic year, excluding Advanced Placement hours• GPA requirement for each award level• Renewal of the FAFSA is highly recommended



• At the end of each Academic Year, the following cumulative GPA must be maintained:– Opportunity Award: 2.30 first academic year

2.50 all subsequent years– Performance Award: 3.00– Honors Award: 3.00– Students falling below 3.00 would revert to the Opportunity

Award– Tech Award: 2.50

• Must meet steady academic progress requirements of 2.00 at the end of any semester or quarter

• Award is reinstated upon attainment of the required GPA• Students failing to meet their GPA requirement will be placed on

suspension not to exceed two years/one year for Tech or Award will be canceled



What is College?• Think of “college” as any form of education

after graduating high school:– Public Colleges– Private Colleges– Community Colleges– Louisiana Technical Colleges– Cosmetology Schools– Proprietary Schools

• Find the perfect fit & major for you!– 2-year, 4-year, etc.



Types of Financial Aid• Scholarships

– Gift Aid – Based on Merit

• Grants– Gift Aid – Based on Need

• Employment Opportunities

• Loans– Must be repaid – may be based on need



Institutional Aid

• Each institution has its own merit-based and need-based scholarship programs

• Investigate aid opportunities early– Each institution has its own aid application

process and deadline

• Upperclassmen should also check with their department for aid opportunities for students in a specific major



Private Aid• The best source of information on private aid

is the Internet. There are numerous free scholarship search services available– See LOSFA Web site Useful Internet Links page

• Private aid can be based on merit or financial need– Sources of private aid include companies, civic

organizations, religious organizations, clubs, etc.



START Saving Program

Louisiana’s 529 college savings program

Chafee Grant• Awards up to $5,000 annually during the academic year to qualified

students who have been in the foster care system

Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship– Forestry, Marine Science, Wildlife– $2,000/annually for undergraduates– $3,000/annually for graduate students– Competitively awarded for up to 5 years



Go Grant• Need based grant • $1000 maximum yearly benefit for AY 2012/13

Safer Volunteer Firemen’s Tuition Reimbursement• Sponsored by the LA State Firemen’s Assoc.• For eligible applicants who sign up to serve as Louisiana volunteer

firemen after graduation • Awards up to $8,000 for 2 year degree• Awards up to $16,000 for 4 year degree

TOPS Tech Early Start• $600/AY for eligible 11th & 12th grade students attending public schools

who concurrently enroll for up to six credit hours/semester in a vocational course of study leading to a TOP Demand Occupation



www.studentaid.ed.gov• Federal Work Study• Pell Grant

– Maximum award amount is $5,500/yr• FSEOG

– Grants range from $100 - $4,000• TEACH Grant

– Provides up to $4,000/yr to students who intend to teach in schools that serve students in low income families

• Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant• Federal Perkins Loans• Direct Loans



Senior Year

Timeline



• Summer before Senior Year:– Contact the financial aid offices of the colleges

you are interested in attending for information on institutional aid opportunities

– Search for private scholarships and grants

– Schedule campus visits at the schools you are interested in attending



• Fall of Senior Year:– Meet with your counselor to make sure you are

on track for TOPS and college admissions requirements

– Apply for college admissions– Apply for institutional scholarships– Apply for private aid– Attend College Fairs and Career Day events– Take the ACT or SAT again



• Spring of Senior Year:– Apply for TOPS and Federal Aid by filing the

FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov– Take the ACT or SAT again– Contact the financial aid office at the school you

plan to attend to verify: FAFSA deadline, notify the office of any private aid you will be receiving, complete the institutional data form (if required)

– Receive your financial aid award letter– Compare your financial aid packages and decide

which school you want to attend

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/



ACT Sub-Score• Beginning academic year 2014-2015 a minimum English AND Math sub-score

on ACT are required for a student to qualify for college level coursework at a four-year public institution in Louisiana

• English Sub-score = 18• Math Sub-score = 19

• Students who do not meet the minimum English AND Math ACT sub-score requirement will require developmental coursework, therefore making them ineligible for admission at a four year institution

• It is always recommended to speak with the Admissions Office at the school you wish to attend as some may give special consideration based on other factors



2014 College Admission Standards

• MINIMUM ADMISSION STANDARDS for FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN

• These are the minimum admission standards for regular Freshman admission to a Louisiana, public four-year university for Fall 2014.

• Students should check with the specific institution for additional information about the university’s requirements and process for admission.*



2014 College Admission Standards1. High School Curriculum = Core 4 Curriculum Courses in the

English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Arts categories listed in Bulletin 741 as Core 4.

2. Overall HS GPA = 2.0 (minimum)3. Developmental Courses Needed = None.

Demonstration of College Readiness: ACT English score = 18 (minimum)

ACT Math Score = 19 (minimum)



2014 College Admission Standards4. Core GPA (courses listed above) → OR ← ACT Composite (minimum)

3.0 LSU A&M 252.5 LA Tech, UL Lafayette, UNO 232.0 Grambling, LSUA, LSUS, 20 McNeese, Nicholls, Northwestern, Southeastern,

Southern A&M, SUNO, UL MonroeUniversities may consider admission appeals for exceptions; check with the institution.

Community or Technical College Admission: Open to High School Graduates.



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Contact LOSFA

www.osfa.la.gov

[email protected]

(225) 219-10128:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Documents

TOPS & FAFSA for 2015 Graduates