To assure that your Scholarship and Grant Program Rules remain current, please record this document on your TOPS Bulletin index and retain it with your manual.

The Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission has revised the Scholarship and Grant Rules at its August 14, 2003 meeting to provide for the following:

· Establishes a FAFSA Deadline for students returning from Out of State institutions who did not originally apply for a TOPS Award. Returning Students who graduated from high school in 2002, and returned to enroll in an eligible institution in the spring semester of 2003 must file a FAFA by July 1, 2004. For all other Returning Students, a FAFSA deadline of July 1 of the Academic Year (College) the student enrolls in an eligible Louisiana college or university has been approved. Note that the statutory 120-day grace period would apply and would follow the deadline.

· Establishes a deadline to establish eligibility. Returning Students must apply with the agency (LOSFA) to establish their eligibility by completing a "Application for a TOPS Award for Students Returning from Out of State Institutions" form and providing official university transcripts from all schools attended. For Returning Students who graduated in 2002 and who enrolled in an eligible Louisiana college or university in the spring semester of 2003, a documents submission deadline of May 1, 2004 is established. For Returning Students who graduated high school in 2003 or years thereafter, a deadline of May 1 of the Academic Year (College) that the student first enrolls in an eligible Louisiana college or university is established.

· Sets a deadline for students who have remaining semesters/terms of eligibility after earning a baccalaureate degree, to establish that eligibility. For students who graduated before or during the 2001-2002 Academic Year (College), a deadline of May 1, 2004 has been established. For all other students the deadline is May 1 of the Academic Year (College) that the student seeks to utilize their remaining award eligibility.

· Adds Advanced Technical Drafting, Introduction to Business Computer Applications, Technology Education Computer Applications and Telecommunications and Word Processing as substitutes for Computer Literacy in Section 703 of the rules, attached.

The full compilation of the TOPS rules with all changes incorporated to date may be viewed on our web site at www.osfa.state.la.us. The revisions, with inserted language underlined and stricken language lined through, follow:

Student Financial Assistance Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance

Higher Education Scholarship and Grant Programs
[includes Tuition Opportunity Program for Students
(TOPS)] (LAC 28:IV.Chapters 1-23)

Title 28
EDUCATION
Part IV. Student Financial Assistance
Higher Education Scholarship and Grant Programs

Chapter 5. Application; Application Deadlines and Proof of Compliance

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§503. Application Deadlines

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B. Final Deadline For Full Award

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3. Returning Students

a. Notwithstanding the deadline established by §503.B.1 above, Returning Students, who graduated from high school during the 2001-2002 Academic Year (High School) and who enroll in an Eligible College or University in the spring semester of 2003, must submit the FAFSA to be received by the federal processor no later than July 1, 2004.

b. Notwithstanding the deadline established by §503.B.1 above, Returning Students, who enroll in an Eligible College or University in the fall semester of 2003 or later, must submit the FAFSA to be received by the federal processor no later than July 1 following the first semester of enrollment. Examples: (1) a student who seeks to enroll in an Eligible College or University for the spring semester of 2004 must submit his FAFSA to be received by the federal processor no later than July 1, 2004. (2) a student who seeks to enroll in an Eligible College or University for the fall semester of 2004 must submit his FAFSA to be received by the federal processor no later than July 1, 2005.

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§509. Final Deadline for Submitting Documentation of Eligibility

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C. 1. Returning Students, who graduated high school during the 2001-2002 Academic Years (High School) and who enroll in an Eligible College or University in the spring semester 2003, must submit documentation that establishes TOPS eligibility no later than May 1, 2004.

    2. Returning Students, who enroll in an Eligible College or University in the fall semester of 2003 or later, must submit documentation that establishes TOPS eligibility no later than May 1 of the Academic Year (College) the student enrolls in an Eligible College or University. For example, a student who seeks to enroll in an Eligible College or University in the fall semester of 2003 must submit documentation that establishes TOPS eligibility no later than May 1, 2004.

D. 1. A student who successfully completed an undergraduate degree prior to or during the 2001-2002 Academic Year (College) and wishes to receive his remaining award eligibility to attend a postgraduate school must provide the documentation and certifications required to establish student eligibility no later than May 1, 2004.

    2. A student who successfully completes an undergraduate degree during the 2002-2003 Academic Year (College) or later and wishes to receive his remaining award eligibility to attend a postgraduate school must provide the documentation and certifications required to establish student eligibility no later than May 1 of the Academic Year (College) the student seeks to receive his remaining award eligibility. For example, to receive the remaining award for the 2003-2004 Academic Year (College), the student must submit the required documents no later than May 1, 2004.

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Chapter 7. Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards

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§703. Establishing Eligibility

A. To establish eligibility for a TOPS Opportunity, Performance or Honors Award, the student applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

5. a. graduate from an eligible public or nonpublic Louisiana high school or non-Louisiana high school defined in §1701.A.1, 2, or 3; and

i. (aa) For students graduating in Academic Year (High School) 2006-2007 and prior, at the time of high school graduation, an applicant must have successfully completed 16.5 units of high school course work documented on the student's official transcript as approved by the Louisiana Department of Education constituting a core curriculum as follows:

Units	Course
1	English I
1	English II
1	English III
1	English IV
1	Algebra I (one unit) or Applied Algebra 1A and 1B (two units)
1	Algebra II
1	Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus or comparable Advanced Mathematics
1	Biology
1	Chemistry
1	Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Biology II, Chemistry II, Physics, Physics II, or Physics for Technology
1	American History
1	World History, Western Civilization or World Geography
1	Civics and Free Enterprise (one unit combined) or Civics (one unit, nonpublic)
1	Fine Arts Survey; (or substitute two units performance courses in music, dance, or theater; or two units of studio art or visual art; or one elective from among the other subjects listed in this core curriculum)
2	Foreign Language, both units in the same language
½	Computer Science, Computer Literacy or Business Computer Applications (or substitute at least one-half unit of an elective course related to computers that is approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE); or substitute at least one-half unit of an elective from among the other subjects listed in this core curriculum); BESE has approved the following courses as computer related for purposes of satisfying the ½ unit computer science requirement for all schools (courses approved by BESE for individual schools are not included): Advanced Technical Drafting (1 credit) Computer /Technology Applications (1 credit) Computer Architecture (1 credit) Computer/Technology Literacy (½ credit) Computer Science I (1 credit) Computer Science II (1 credit) Computer Systems and Networking I (1 credit) Computer Systems and Networking II (1 credit) Desktop Publishing (½ credit) Digital Graphics & Animation (½ credit) Introduction to Business Computer Applications (1 credit) Multimedia Productions (1 credit) Technology Education Computer Applications (1 credit) Telecommunications (½ credit) Web Mastering (½ credit) Word Processing (1 credit) Independent Study in Technology applications (1 credit)

  (bb) Beginning with the graduates of Academic Year (High School) 2007-2008, at the time of high school graduation, an applicant must have successfully completed 17.5 units of high school course work that constitutes a core curriculum and is documented on the student's official transcript as approved by the Louisiana Department of Education:

Units	Course
1	English I
1	English II
1	English III
1	English IV
1	Algebra I (one unit) or Applied Algebra 1A and 1B (two units)
1	Algebra II
1	Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus or comparable Advanced Mathematics
1	Biology
1	Chemistry
1	Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Biology II, Chemistry II, Physics, Physics II, or Physics for Technology
1	American History
1	World History, Western Civilization or World Geography
1	Civics and Free Enterprise (one unit combined) or Civics (one unit, nonpublic)
1	Fine Arts Survey; (or substitute two units performance courses in music, dance, or theater; or two units of studio art or visual art; or one elective from among the other subjects listed in this core curriculum)
2	Foreign Language, both units in the same language
1½	Computer Science, Computer Literacy or Business Computer Applications (or substitute at least one and one-half units of an elective course related to computers that is approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). BESE has approved the following courses as computer related for purposes of satisfying the 1½ unit computer science requirement for all schools (courses approved by BESE for individual schools are not included): Advanced Technical Drafting (1 credit) Computer /Technology Applications (1 credit) Computer Architecture (1 credit) Computer/Technology Literacy (½ credit) Computer Science I (1 credit) Computer Science II (1 credit) Computer Systems and Networking I (1 credit) Computer Systems and Networking II (1 credit) Desktop Publishing (½ credit) Digital Graphics & Animation (½ credit) Introduction to Business Computer Applications (1 credit) Multimedia Productions (1 credit) Technology Education Computer Applications (1 credit) Telecommunications (½ credit) Web Mastering (½ credit) Word Processing (1 credit) Independent Study in Technology applications (1 credit)

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