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.

1.        This Bulletin addresses restrictions on TOPS awards to students and the requirements for resolution of Over Awards based on the
           following provisions:

            a.        LSA-R.S. 17:3048.1.K (1) - Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, any student who qualifies for an award
                       as provided in this Section and who also qualifies for any other financial assistance offered by the state public college or university
                       which the student attends shall be allowed to combine such award and financial assistance in any manner to cover other costs of
                       attendance as determined for that student in accordance with regulations governing the award of federal student aid under Title IV
                       of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended, including room and board, books, and other instructional materials.
            b.        LSA-R.S. 17:3048.1.K (2) - If a student is receiving other financial assistance that, when combined with a tuition payment under
                       this Section, exceeds the "Cost of Attendance" as determined for that student in accordance with regulations governing the award
                       of federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the amount of the tuition payment shall be
                       reduced by the amount of such excess.
            c.        Section 701.E.6 of the Rules - Recipients of TOPS Awards who are also beneficiaries of Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue
                       Trust (START) Saving Program accounts, may apply the START disbursements to pay tuition, and any remaining tuition due may
                       be paid by the TOPS award. Any balance of the TOPS award which remains after payment of the institution's charges, shall be
                       credited to the student's account and treated in accordance with institutional policies. In the event the student’s total aid, including
                       Vocational Rehabilitation Awards, exceeds the Cost of Attendance, any federal loan aid included in the total aid package shall be
                       reduced, then institutional and other aid in accordance with institutional practice, then the TOPS Award shall be reduced by the
                       amount of any remaining over award.
            d.        Section 1903.B of the Rules - Program Billing. Each term, institutions shall bill LASFAC for students who are recipients of a TOPS
                       Award and who have enrolled at the institution in accordance with the following terms and conditions:
                       (3)        in the event the student’s total aid, including Vocational Rehabilitation Awards, exceeds the Cost of Attendance, any
                                   federal loan aid included in the total aid package shall be reduced, then institutional and other aid in accordance with
                                   institutional practice, then the TOPS award shall be reduced by the amount of any remaining over award;

2.        This Bulletin refers to the following terms and definitions from Section 301 of the Rules:
           a.        Award Amount - an amount equal to Tuition at the school attended, for those students attending a Louisiana public college or
                      university, as determined by the commission, which may be used by the student to pay any educational expense included in that
                      student’s "Cost of Attendance."
            b.       Cost of Attendance - the total amount it will cost a student to go to school, usually expressed as an academic year figure. This cost
                      is determined by the school in compliance with Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and is annually updated
                      and adopted by the institution. The cost of education covers tuition and fees, on-campus room and board (or a housing and food
                      allowance for off-campus students) and allowances for books, supplies, transportation, child care, costs related to a disability, and
                      miscellaneous expenses. Also included are reasonable costs for eligible programs of study abroad. An allowance (determined by
                      the school) is included for reasonable costs connected with a student's employment as part of a cooperative education program.
            c.       Over Award - for the purposes of LAC 28:IV, an over award occurs when a student received financial aid in excess of the cost of
                      attendance as established in accordance with federal Title IV regulations or an award under state programs to which the student
                      was not entitled.
            d.       Tuition - the fee charged each student by a postsecondary institution to cover the student’s share of the cost of instruction,
                      including all other mandatory enrollment fees charged to all students, except for the Technology Fee authorized by Act 1450 of the
                      1997 Regular Session of the Legislature, which were in effect as of January 1, 1998, and any changes in the cost of instruction
                      authorized by the legislature and implemented by the institution after that date.

3.         Students must not be paid more than the lesser of Tuition or the residual amount remaining after all other financial aid has been
            subtracted from the Cost of Attendance.

4.         Determination of the amount of the TOPS award must be made after all other awarded student financial aid has been subtracted from the
            Cost of Attendance.

5.         If the residual amount is less than Tuition, the TOPS award must be reduced to the total of the residual amount.

6.         At any time financial aid, including private or institutional scholarships, awarded to a student subsequent to disbursement of the TOPS
            award reduces the residual amount to less than Tuition or to an amount less than the actual TOPS award, the institution must
            immediately remit the resulting Over Award to LOSFA for deposit in the TOPS account.

Questions concerning this Bulletin should be directed to John Bell, Awards Manager, jbell@osfa.state.la.us