La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § IV-701

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section IV-701 - General Provisions

A. Legislative Authority. Awards under the Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), the Opportunity, Performance and Honors Awards, are established as set forth in R.S. 17:5001 et seq., as amended.

B. Description, History and Purpose. The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a comprehensive, merit-based student aid program consisting of a series of components, with each component having its own eligibility criteria and titled award. The purpose of TOPS is to provide an incentive for Louisiana residents to academically prepare for and pursue post-secondary education in this state, resulting in an educated work force enabling Louisiana to prosper in the global market of the future. The major components of TOPS are the Opportunity Award, the Performance Award and the Honors Award.

C. The Opportunity, Performance and Honors Awards, which will be funded for the 1998-99 academic year, combine former programs [Louisiana Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) and the Louisiana Honors Scholarship Program] with a new component, the Honors Award, to produce a comprehensive program of state scholarships.

D. The purposes of this program are to:

1. financially assist those students who are academically prepared to continue their education at a Louisiana post-secondary institution; and

2. encourage academic excellence; and

3. provide incentives for Louisiana high school graduates to pursue post-secondary education in this state.

E. Award Amounts. The specific award amounts for each component of TOPS are as follows:

a. The TOPS Opportunity Award provides an award amount as defined in §301 for full-time attendance at an eligible college or university for a period not to exceed eight semesters, including qualified summer sessions, 12 quarters, including qualified summer sessions, or an equivalent number of units in an eligible institution which operates on a schedule based on units other than semesters or quarters, except as provided by R.S. 17:5002, or LAC 28:IV.503.D, 509.C, or 701.E.1.b. Attending a qualified summer session for which a TOPS Award is paid will count toward the eight semester limit for TOPS.

b. The semester or term count for a student shall not be increased for any semester or term a student is unable to complete because of orders to active duty in the United States Armed Forces or National Guard, whether or not a full refund for the TOPS payment for that semester or term is received by LOSFA.

a. The TOPS Performance Award provides a $400 annual stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each academic year (TOPS), in addition to an award amount as defined in §301 for full-time attendance at an eligible college or university, for a period not to exceed eight semesters, including qualified summer sessions, 12 quarters, including qualified summer sessions, or an equivalent number of units in an eligible institution which operates on a schedule based on units other than semesters or quarters, except as provided by R.S. 17:5002, or LAC 28:IV.503.D, 509.C, or 701.E.2.b. If a student attends an eligible summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit and requests that their TOPS Award be paid for that session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit, the stipend will also be paid since payment of a TOPS Award for a summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit will count toward the eight semester limit for TOPS.

a. The TOPS Honors Award provides an $800 annual stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each academic year (TOPS), in addition to an award amount as defined in §301 for full-time attendance at an eligible college or university, for a period not to exceed eight semesters, including qualified summer sessions, 12 quarters, including qualified summer sessions, or an equivalent number of units in an eligible institution which operates on a schedule based on units other than semesters or quarters, except as provided by R.S. 17:5002, or LAC 28:IV.503.D, 509.C or 701.E.3.b. If a student attends an eligible summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit and requests that their TOPS Award be paid for that session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit, the stipend will also be paid since payment of a TOPS Award for a summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit will count toward the eight semester limit for TOPS.

a. Through the 2009-2010 academic year (college), in lieu of the amount equal to tuition as provided by LAC 28:IV.701.E.1-3, students participating in the program provided by R.S. 29:36.1 for persons serving in the Louisiana National Guard shall receive the tuition exemption as provided therein, plus any applicable TOPS stipend and a sum of not more than $150 per semester or $300 annually for the actual cost of books and other instructional materials.

b. Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year (College), in lieu of the amount equal to tuition as provided by LAC 28:IV.701.E.1-3, students with the TOPS Opportunity, Performance and Honors Award participating in the program provided by R.S. 29:36.1 for persons serving in the Louisiana National Guard shall receive the tuition exemption as provided therein, plus a sum of $300 per semester or $600 per academic year to be applied toward the cost of books and other instructional materials. In addition, those students with the Performance Award shall receive $400 per semester or $800 per academic year for other educational expenses and those students with the Honors Award shall receive $800 per semester or $1,600 per academic year for other educational expenses. If a student attends an eligible summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit and requests that their TOPS Award be paid for that session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit in accordance with this Paragraph, the amounts stipulated herein will also be paid since payment of a TOPS Award for a summer session, quarter, term, or equivalent unit will count toward the eight-semester limit for TOPS.

5. Students attending an institutionally accredited independent college or university which is a member of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU):

a. in an academic program receive an amount equal to the weighted average award amount, as defined in §301, plus any applicable stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each academic year (college). The stipend will be paid for each qualified summer session, semester, quarter, or equivalent unit for which a TOPS Award is paid. Attending a qualified summer session for which a TOPS Award is paid will count toward the eight semester limit for TOPS;

b. in a program for a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate degree receive an amount equal to the average award amount (TOPS-Tech), as defined in §301, plus any applicable stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each academic year (TOPS). The stipend will be paid for each qualified summer session, semester, quarter, term or equivalent unit for which a TOPS Award is paid. Attending a qualified summer session for which a TOPS Award is paid will count toward the eight-semester limit for TOPS.

6. Recipients of TOPS Awards who are also beneficiaries of Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) Saving Program accounts, may apply the START disbursements to pay tuition, and any remaining tuition due may be paid by the TOPS Award. Any balance of the TOPS Award which remains after payment of the institution's charges, shall be credited to the student's account and treated in accordance with institutional policies. In the event the student's total aid, including vocational rehabilitation awards, exceeds the cost of attendance, any federal loan aid included in the total aid package shall be reduced, then institutional and other aid in accordance with institutional practice, then the TOPS Award shall be reduced by the amount of any remaining over award.

7. Students funded under the Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) or the Louisiana Honors Scholarship during the 199798 award year, who have maintained eligibility for the 199899 award year, shall be continued as TOPS opportunity or performance recipients, respectively.

8. Students funded under the Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) or the Louisiana Honors Scholarship Program during the 1997-98 award year, who lost eligibility due to their failure to maintain the required grade point average, shall be continued as TOPS Opportunity or Performance recipients, respectively, however, their eligibility for an award shall be suspended pending their satisfaction of the continuation requirements of §705.A.7 If a student satisfies the applicable requirements of §705.A.7 no later than the end of the 2000 spring semester, he/she shall be eligible for reinstatement of the award in accordance with §705 B, for the semester following the satisfaction of the requirements of §705.A.7

9. Prior recipients of the Louisiana Honors Scholarship who attend a campus of the Louisiana Technical College may continue to attend that institution as a recipient of the TOPS Performance Award.

10. Award amounts shall be credited to a student's account with the institution and shall be used consistent with the institution's policy, and as directed by the student, to pay for those educational expenses included in the cost of attendance.

11. Students enrolled and attending more than one college or university at the same time shall be awarded as follows:

a. students attending two or more Louisiana public two- or four-year colleges or universities shall receive a total amount not to exceed the amount that would be charged to the student by the school with the highest award amount, as defined in §301, among those at which the student is simultaneously enrolled;

b. students attending two or more institutionally-accredited independent colleges or universities which are members of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) shall receive a total amount not to exceed the weighted average highest award amount paid at those schools at which the student is simultaneously enrolled, as defined in §301;

c. students attending a combination of Louisiana public two- or four-year colleges or universities and institutionally accredited independent colleges or universities which are members of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) in an academic program shall receive a total amount not to exceed the amount that would be paid at the public school with the highest award amount paid at those schools at which the student is simultaneously enrolled or the weighted average award amount for the enrolled LAICU school, whichever amount is greater.

12. Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year (College), a student who receives the tuition waiver provided by R.S. 17:1688 for disabled veterans shall receive the tuition exemption provided in that Section in lieu of a TOPS Award.

F. Beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year (TOPS) and continuing for the remainder of their program eligibility, students who meet each of the following requirements shall be awarded a stipend in the amount of $200 per qualified summer session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid which shall be in addition to the amount determined to equal the tuition charged by the public college or university attended or, if applicable, the amount provided for attendance at an eligible nonpublic college or university:

1. prior to June 18, 1999, the student was determined by the board to be eligible for a Performance Award, but who chose either by submission of a completed award confirmation form or by not sending in a completed award confirmation form to receive an Opportunity Award and was awarded an Opportunity Award; and

2. the student, once enrolled at an eligible institution, has continuously met all requirements to maintain continued state payment for a Performance Award.

G. Beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year (TOPS) and continuing for the remainder of their program eligibility, students who meet each of the following requirements shall be awarded a stipend in the amount of $400 per qualified summer session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid which shall be in addition to the amount determined to equal the tuition charged by the public college or university attended or, if applicable, the amount provided for attendance at an eligible nonpublic college or university:

1. prior to June 18, 1999, the student was determined by the board to be eligible for an Honors Award, but who chose either by submission of a completed award confirmation form or by not sending in a completed award confirmation form to receive an Opportunity Award and was awarded an Opportunity Award; and

2. the student, once enrolled at an eligible institution, has continuously met all requirements to maintain continued state payment for an Honors Award.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § IV-701

Promulgated by the Student Financial Assistance Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 22:338 (May 1996), amended LR 23:1645-1648 (December 1997), repromulgated LR 24:635 (April 1998), amended LR 24:1901 (October 1998), LR 25: 256 (February 1999), LR 26:67 (January 2000), LR 26:1262 (June 2000), LR 26:1995 (September 2000), LR 26:2000 (September 2000), repromulgated LR 27:1848 (November 2001), amended LR 28:447 (March 2002), LR 28:2331 (November 2002), LR 29:880 (June 2003), LR 29:2372 (November 2003), LR 30:1161 (June 2004), LR 31:2213 (September 2005), LR 35:228 (February 2009), LR 36:2854 (December 2010), LR 40:1002 (May 2014), LR 41:663 (April 2015), Amended LR 421881 (11/1/2016), Amended by the Board of Regents, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 44504 (3/1/2018), Amended LR 48483 (3/1/2022), Amended LR 50187 (2/1/2024).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3021-3031, R.S. 17:3042.1 and R.S. 17:5001 et seq.