LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: T2002-5
DATE ISSUED: April 10, 2002
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:

FAFSA Deadline Extension for Applicants who Enter on Active Duty in the U.S. Armed Forces Within One Year of High School Graduation

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 the Scholarship and Grant Program Rules at its March 25, 2002 meeting by extending the deadline for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for the TOPS program for students who enter active duty in the Armed Forces within one year of their graduation from high school.

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 follow:

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

Chapter 5. Application; Application Deadlines and Proof of Compliance

§503. Application Deadlines

…

B. Final Deadline For Full Award

1. In order to receive the full benefits of a TOPS award as provided in §701.E and 803.D, the final deadline for receipt of a student's initial FAFSA application is July 1st of the Academic Year (High School) in which a student graduates. For example, for a student graduating in the 2000-2001 Academic Year (High School), the student must submit the initial FAFSA in time for it to be received by the federal processor by July 1, 2001.

2. Notwithstanding the deadline established by §503.B.1 above, applicants who enter on active duty in the U. S. Armed Forces have a final deadline for receipt of their initial FAFSA application of one year from the date of separation from active duty. In order to be eligible under this subsection, the applicant must meet the requirements of §703.A.4.b or d or §803.A.4.b or d of these rules and must not have been discharged with an undesirable, bad conduct or dishonorable discharge.