LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: T2005-1
DATE ISSUED: March 16, 2005
EFFECTIVE DATE: As Indicated
DISTRIBUTION:

College, University, and LAICU Chancellors, Financial Aid Offices, Business Offices, Registrars and Auditors, High School Principals, High School Counselors, Technical College Campus Deans and Student Personnel Services Officers
TOPIC:

Academic Year (AY) Processing Calendar

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 standard production and submission schedules for TOPS reports are shown below. Please note that, beginning with next year's renewal processing (2006-2007), post-secondary students who meet continuation requirements WILL NOT be mailed a Renewal Letter. Renewal Letters sent this year will inform students that they should review their status at the end of each academic year via the TOPS Portal on LOSFA's Web site (www.osfa.state.la.us). LOSFA will continue to notify post-secondary students who are suspended for not meeting grade point average requirements or who are cancelled for failure to enroll, to enroll full time, to maintain continuous enrollment or to meet the 24 credit hour requirement per academic year.

 

LOSFA Scholarship/Grant Division
Academic Year (AY) Processing Calendar

SCHEDULED WEEKLY PROCESSING

Each Tuesday

Each Wednesday


Each Thursday (except December, see monthly processing)


Each Friday

 

SCHEDULED MONTHLY PROCESSING

January   First Week    
       
  •   TOPS On-line Application activated for new award year.
  •   Begin collection and storage of new FAFSA and On-Line TOPS Applications for upcoming Academic Year (AY).
February   First Week    
       
  •   Anticipate 14th class day billings for spring semester.
  •   Accept 2S current AY payment request files.
March   First Week    
       
  •   Anticipate Louisiana Tech University winter quarter Academic Information Reporting (AIR) file.
    Third Week    
       
  •   Anticipate 14th class day billing for spring quarter (Louisiana Tech).
  •   Accept 3T current AY payment request files.
April   Last Thursday    
       
  •   Produce final Master Roster of current AY.
  •   All records in a cancelled status for the past year are removed from the Master Roster.
May   First week    
       
  •   Weekly run will produce new AY Master Roster.
  •   All records with eligible status codes will be converted to “Renewal Pending” status (91).
  •   First year eligible records with no payment requests will become status code 46 (award not accepted 1st year). FT (first-time, full-time) special student population code must be used if student enrolls in upcoming fall term/semester (see June).
  •   ACT April scores received and uploaded.
    Second Thursday (weekly run)    
       
  •   First STS extraction.
  •   New AY initial eligibility begins.
    Third/Fourth week    
       
  •   Renewal processing begins as 2S/3T current AY.  AIR files are received.
June   First Thursday    
       
  •   Accept FT (first-time, full-time) 1S or 1T of upcoming award year for Status Code 46 (see TOPS Bulletin T2001-22).
    Second Week    
       
  •   Anticipate 14th class day billings for summer terms.
  •   Accept 3S/4T billings for Qualified Summer Sessions.
  •   Request schools to remit all refunds for past AY.
    Third Week    
       
  •   Deadline for STS data for current year to be submitted to the Department of Education.
July   1st or 1st workday of the month    
       
  •   Beginning of new state fiscal year (FY).
  •   Last day to process current year FAFSA or On-Line Application without one-semester penalty imposed for current AY high school graduates.
    Last week    
       
  •   Last date for refunds to be received that can be credited to prior FY.
August   Last week    
       
  •   60-day deadline for one semester/two quarter penalty for FAFSA or On-Line Applications filed after July 1.
September   Second week    
       
  •   Anticipate 14th class day billing for fall semester/term.
  •   Accept 1S/1T current AY billing.
October   Last week    
       
  •   120-day deadline for one AY penalty for FAFSA or On-Line Applications filed after July 1.
November   First week    
       
  •   October ACT test date scores received and uploaded.
    Third week    
       
  •   Anticipate Louisiana Tech current year fall quarter AIR file.
December   First week    
       
  •   Anticipate 14th class day billing for winter quarter (Louisiana Tech).
  •   Accept 2T current AY billing.
    Third week    
       
  • Anticipate first submissions of 1S current year AIR files.
  • Thursday run of billing and awards programs WILL NOT take place for the following dates:

    2004   December 23
    2005   December 22
    2006   December 21
    2007   December 20
    2008   December 25
    2009   December 24

    No updated Master Roster will be available this week because of school closures.
    Last Thursday    
       
  •   Weekly processing resumes.

 

Questions or comments regarding the information in this bulletin may be directed to jbell@osfa.state.la.us.