TOPS Excellence Award
ListedScholarship
- Award
- Eligible public institution: actual tuition/fees reported through Board of Regents survey, capped at $12,000 annually; eligible private LAICU institution: actual tuition/fees capped at $8,500 annually. Normally up to eight semesters/twelve quarters, subject to appropriations and late-score/application reductions. Institution receives payment directly.
- Timeline
- Jul 1Full-award application receipt:, or next business day, following one-year anniversary of high-school graduation. FAFSA priority February 1 of senior year. All initial-eligibility documentation due January 15 following final application deadline. Current testing guidance requires April national ACT/CLT deadline and March SAT deadline in graduation year to avoid reduced eligibility
- Aug 1Later qualifying tests before normally reduce funding by one semester/two quarters. Exact 2027 testing days/time zone not stated
- How to apply
- Submit FAFSA for academic year immediately following graduation, or TOPS Online Application only if family finances make applicant ineligible for federal grant aid. Save receipt and match name/date-of-birth across transcript and testing records. LOSFA may request official academic records, residency affidavit and citizenship/PR documentation; homeschool registration and prior-school records need verification. Send official scores using LOSFA codes (ACT 1595, SAT 9019; select LOSFA/TOPS for CLT), monitor Student Hub and respond to requests. FAFSA renewal normally annual; initial TOPS-only applicants do not refile that form annually.
- Who can apply
- Standard approved-school route: 19 TOPS core units, minimum 3.50 TOPS core GPA and ACT 31; the 2027 graduate core allows two listed Computer Science courses instead of two same-language foreign-language units. Qualified out-of-state-school route uses ACT 34 in lieu of core/GPA; approved homeschool route uses ACT 31 or specified SAT/CLT equivalents. First-time full-time enrolment at eligible Louisiana institution by first semester following one-year graduation anniversary. U.S. citizen or permanent resident at graduation; pending prior-to-graduation permanent-residency application requires LOSFA review and cannot be paid until approved. Louisiana residency normally established through final two school years or 24-month student/parent/legal-guardian residency; qualified military exceptions exist. Confirm graduation-year core and test rules with LOSFA.
- Good to know
- Only eligible Louisiana institutions. ACT superscores not accepted. Annual full-time/continuous enrolment and normally 24 earned academic-year credits required; all college coursework, including dual enrolment, affects GPA. Opportunity renewal needs 2.30 at 24-47 hours then 2.50; Performance/Honors/Excellence need 3.00 at annual review, with intermediate steady-progress conditions. Higher awards can revert permanently to Opportunity after GPA shortfall. GPA suspension can be restored within allowed period; approved medical/military exceptions concern enrolment/credits. National Guard has separate tuition-exemption/book benefits and larger education stipends; check award-specific rules. Remaining eligibility may fund graduate/professional study under enrolment rule, not a second bachelor degree.
- Details
- Score minimumPermanent residents eligible