Requirements to File the FAFSA for Continuation in TOPS |
LOUISIANA
STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
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TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: |
T2000-02 |
DATE ISSUED: |
February 4, 2000 |
EFFECTIVE DATE: |
As Indicated |
| DISTRIBUTION: | Louisiana Colleges and Universities, Louisiana Technical Colleges, Board of Regents, Higher Education Management Boards, State Department of Education and Louisiana Officials |
| TOPIC: | Requirement to File the FAFSA for Continuation in TOPS for Prior Awardees Under the Louisiana Honors Scholarship and Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) |
To assure that your Scholarship and Grant Policy and Procedure Manual remains current, please record this document on your TOPS Bulletin index and retain it with your manual
Former recipients of the Louisiana Honors Scholarship, whose scholarships were continued as TOPS awards, are not required to file the FAFSA annually as a condition for renewal of their TOPS award.
Under the Louisiana Honors Scholarship Program, award recipients were not required to file the FAFSA annually as a condition for renewal of their scholarships. Act No. 1375 of the Regular Session of 1997, which terminated awards under the Honors Scholarship Program, provided that students receiving these awards would be continued under TOPS "without the application to the student of any initial or continuing eligibility requirements of that program (TOPS) which exceed the requirements of this Section (Honors Scholarship)". Since filing of the FAFSA could be interpreted as "a continuing eligibility requirement" exceeding those imposed on recipients of the Honors Scholarship, the effect of law is to exempt these students from the requirement to file the FAFSA. However, filing of the FAFSA is recommended to ensure these students will be considered for Federal Pell Grants and other federal student aid programs.
Former recipients of the Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP), whose scholarships were continued as TOPS awards, are required to file the FAFSA. However, their failure to file the FAFSA will not be considered "a continuing eligibility requirement" which would preclude renewal of their TOPS award.
Under the TAP, award recipients were required to file the FAFSA annually. However, a recipient’s failure to file was not considered "a continuing eligibility requirement" and did not preclude the renewal of a recipient’s TAP award. Since the statutory provision cited above is equally applicable to former recipients of TAP, the filing of the FAFSA by these students cannot be considered "a continuing eligibility requirement" and, accordingly, will not preclude the renewal of a TOPS award. Stated succinctly, although a former TAP recipient is required to annually file the FAFSA, failure to file cannot be the reason for denying continuation of the TOPS award. Filing of the FAFSA is recommended to ensure these students will be considered for Federal Pell Grants and other federal student aid programs.
LOSFA has already corrected the records of affected students by applying the guidance outlined herein. Students whose eligibility has changed are being individually notified by letter from this office. As the status of these students is corrected on the Master Roster to show them eligible, schools may bill for them accordingly. If you have questions, please contact Dr. John Bell, Scholarships Award Manager, at 1-800-259-5626, extension 1113.