Louisiana’s First Choice for College Access

Citizenship, Residency &Criminal Convictions 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 12, 2014

Loss of 1 semester eligibility: June 14, 2014

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 8, 2014 Loss of 1 semester eligibility: May 3, 2014 and June 7,

2014

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 ($2043 per semester for 2013-2014)

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

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)

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

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 prior to

high school graduation Academic Records from the high schools are sent to

LOSFA electronically STEP 4 – Student is determined eligible for TOPS

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

TOPS Continuation 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

TOPS Retention: GPA

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

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

scholarship programs

Many schools have their own need-based aid 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 website Useful Internet Links page

or Surfing the Web for a listing

Private aid can be based on merit or financial need

Sources of private aid include companies, civic organizations, religious organizations, clubs, etc.

Campus-Based Federal Aid Programs 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

FAFSA

FAFSA The Free Application for Federal Student

Aid (FAFSA) is the application for both federal and state aid programs Be sure to fill out the FAFSA even if you don’t

think you’ll qualify for need based aid

The FAFSA is the only application needed for the TOPS scholarship

You should never be asked to pay to fill out the FAFSA. It is a FREE application www.fafsa.ed.gov

FAFSA: Student Information Social Security Number State of Legal Residence Citizenship status Interest in Student Loans and Work-Study

programs Financial information = your income, assets, and

types of federal benefits received Highest grade completed by Parent 1 and Parent 2 High School completion status

High School Diploma GED Home Study

Name of student’s High School

FAFSA: Parental Information Skip if you are an independent student

Remember: Grandparents, foster parents and Legal Guardians cannot complete this application

Whose information do you use? If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the

questions about the parent you lived with most during the past 12 months

If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse

If your parents are not married and live together, select “unmarried and both parents live together” and provide information about both

If your parent is single or widowed, answer the questions about that parent

If your widowed parent is remarried, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse

FAFSA: Student and Parent Financial Information Students will record their income, assets, and

types of federal benefits they receive

Parents will record their income, assets, and type of federal benefits they receive

Parents and Students are encouraged to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing FAFSA. This tool allows you to access your IRS tax return information and transfer it directly to FAFSA from the IRS website. It’s the easiest way to provide your tax data.

FAFSA: School Information May list up to 10 institutions to receive

FAFSA data when filing online Make sure to list a Louisiana school first for

TOPS purposes

Housing plan

Enrollment status

FAFSA: Signatures For a dependent student, both the student

and the parent must sign

FAFSA on the Web may be signed by: Using a pin number

The parent and student must have separate pin numbers

Parents may use the same PIN for all of their children

Printing the signature page Must mail within 14 days

Student Aid Report (SAR) The SAR provides you with:

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Pell Grant Eligibility Listing of Institutions which will receive your

data A financial aid history A listing of your responses to the FAFSA

Corrections may be made: Online at www.fafsa.ed.gov By phone at (800) 433-3243

Senior Year

Timeline

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 If you are an athlete and plan to play in college,

register with the NCAA Clearinghouse If you would like to attend a U.S. Military

Academy, write your U.S. Senator or Representative

Senior Year Timeline 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

Senior Year Timeline 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, meet with a financial aid officer if you have special circumstances, 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

ACT 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

Contact LOSFA

www.osfa.la.gov

custserv@la.gov

LIKE us on Facebook!

(800) 259-5626

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

Contact Mrs. Schlotterer

College Corner microsite

http://www.runnels.org/microsite/display/college-

corner

(225) 751-2192d.schlotterer@runnels.org