LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: T2001- 10
DATE ISSUED: July 10, 2001
EFFECTIVE DATE: As Indicated
DISTRIBUTION:

Louisiana High School Principals and Counselors, City and Parish School Board Presidents, School Board Superintendents, College and University, Technical College and LAICU Chancellors, Financial Aid Offices, Business Offices, Registrars and Auditors, System Governance, Board of Regents, Department of Education, Louisiana Officials, Louisiana Legislators, and Commission Members

TOPIC:

Scholarship/Grant Program Rule Revisions

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.

The Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission has revised its Scholarship and Grant program rules to clarify that continuous full-time enrollment requires full-time enrollment through the end of the fourteenth class day (ninth class day for Louisiana Tech), and that exceptional circumstances do not include certain situations for the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS).

The full compilation of TOPS rules with all changes incorporated to date may be viewed on our website at http://www.osfa.state.la.us. The revisions follow:

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Chapter 3. Definitions

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§301. Definitions

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First-Time Freshman — a student who is awarded TOPS Opportunity, Performance, or Honors and enrolls for the first-time as a full-time freshman in an academic program in a postsecondary school subsequent to high school graduation, and continues to be enrolled full-time on at the end of the fourteenth class day (ninth class day for Louisiana Tech) or enrolls for the first time, full-time in a Louisiana public community or technical college that offers a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma program or a non-academic undergraduate degree to pursue a skill, occupational training, or technical training subsequent to high school graduation. A student who is awarded TOPS Opportunity, Performance, or Honors and begins in an academic program in a postsecondary college or university in a summer session will be considered a First-Time Freshman for the immediately succeeding fall term. A student who is awarded TOPS Opportunity, Performance, or Honors and begins in a non-academic program in a postsecondary school in a summer term will be considered a First-Time Freshman at the time of such enrollment. The fact that a student enrolls in a postsecondary school prior to graduation from high school and/or enrolls less than full time in a postsecondary school prior to the required date for full time enrollment shall not preclude the student from being a First-Time Freshman.

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Full-Time Student——

a. a student enrolled in an institution of higher education who is carrying a full-time academic workload as determined by the school under the standards applicable to all students enrolled;

b. For continuation purposes, a student must be enrolled full-time at the end of the fourteenth class day (ninth class day for Louisiana Tech or Louisiana Technical College);

c. for continuation purposes, a student is considered to have met the full-time requirement if by the completion of the academic year he has earned at least 24 hours of total credit as reported by the institution for the fall and spring semesters at institutions defining 12 semester hours as the minimum for standing as a full-time undergraduate or as reported by the institution for the fall, winter and spring quarters at institutions defining 8 quarter hours as the minimum for standing as a full-time undergraduate. For purposes of TOPS and except where specified otherwise within these rules, a student shall be credited for hours earned as reported by the institution which the student attends in accordance with that institution''s published policies. Students should be aware that these policies may differ depending on the school the student attends. (see 705.A.7., 705.D., 805.A.7., and 907.A.2. for more expanded TOPS requirements);

d. for programs which permit graduate study, a graduate student must have earned at least 18 hours of total credit during the fall, winter and spring terms;

e. a workload of at least 30 clock hours per week is the full-time equivalent at a technical college;

f. a student enrolled in two or more institutions of higher education when such multiple enrollment is necessary for the student to gain access to the courses required for completion of the degree in the chosen discipline and where the total number of hours earned at all institutions during the academic year is the equivalent of carrying a full-time academic workload as determined by the institution which will award the degree.

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Chapter 21. Miscellaneous Provisions and Exceptions

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§2103. Circumstances Warranting Exception to the Initial and Continuous Enrollment Requirements

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A. - E.10.c.

11. Exceptional Circumstances a. Definition. The student/recipient has exceptional circumstances, other than those listed in §2103.E.1-10, which are beyond his immediate control and which necessitate full or partial withdrawal from, or non-0enrollment in an eligible postsecondary institution.

(i.) The following situations are not exceptional circumstances:

(a) - (i) ...

(j) An involuntary drop, suspension, or withdrawal from enrollment because of academics, scholastics, or failure to attend classes or to comply with institutional regulations.

(k) A suspension or expulsion for misconduct.

(l) An inability to register because of failure to satisfy financial obligations.

E.11.(ii) - E.11.(ii.)c. ...