LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: T2003-2B
DATE ISSUED: February 12, 2003
EFFECTIVE DATE: As Indicated
DISTRIBUTION:

Louisiana 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 and Grant Program Revisions to Accommodate the Technical College's Transition from Term Enrollment Periods to Semesters and Clarify the Payment of Stipend Amounts to Students Attending LTC with TOPS Performance and Honors Awards for Qualified Summer Term Enrollment

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 Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission has revised the Scholarship and Grant Program Rules at its February 7, 2003 meeting to accommodate the Technical Colleges' transition from term enrollment periods to semesters by changing the definition of Program Year (Non-Academic Program) and clarify the payment of stipend amounts to students attending Louisiana Technical College with TOPS Performance and Honors awards for qualified summer term enrollment.

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, with inserted language underlined and stricken language struck out, follow:

 

Title 28

EDUCATION

Part VI. Student Financial Assistance—Higher

Education Scholarship and Grant Programs

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Chapter 3. Definitions

§301. Definitions

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   Program Year (Non-academic Program) - the schedule of semesters or terms during a year leading to a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate degree for such programs offered by Eligible Colleges and Universities, beginning with the fall semester or term, including the winter term, if applicable, and spring terms, and concluding with the summer spring semester or term or the equivalent schedule at an institution which operates on units other than semesters or terms. Enrollment in a summer term, semester or session is not required to maintain eligibility for an award.

   Qualified Summer Session - those summer sessions for which the student's institution certifies that (1) the summer session is required in the student's degree program for graduation and the student enrolled for at least the minimum number of hours required for the degree program for the session, or (2) the student can complete his program's graduation requirements in the summer session, or (3) the course(s) taken during the summer session is required for graduation in the program in which the student is enrolled and is only offered during the summer session, or (4) the course(s) taken during the summer session is in a program for a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate degree.

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Chapter 7. Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards

§701. General Provisions

  A. - E.1. ...

  2. The TOPS Performance Award provides a $400 annual stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each Academic Year (College) or by four terms or equivalent units in each and Program Year (Non-academic Program), in addition to an amount equal to tuition for full-time attendance at an Eligible College or University, for a period not to exceed eight semesters, including Qualified Summer Sessions, twelve quarters, including Qualified Summer Sessions, or an equivalent number of units in an eligible institution which operates on a schedule based on units other than semesters or quarters, except as provided by LSA-R.S. 17:3048.1.H, or §503.D or §509.C. The stipend will be paid for each Qualified Summer Session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid. Attending a Qualified Summer Session for which tuition is paid will count toward the eight (8) semester limit for TOPS.

  3. The TOPS Honors Award provides an $800 annual stipend, prorated by two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each Academic Year (College) or by four terms or equivalent units in and each Program Year (Non-academic Program), in addition to an amount equal to tuition for full-time attendance at an Eligible College or University, for a period not to exceed eight semesters, including Qualified Summer Sessions, twelve quarters, including Qualified Summer Sessions, or an equivalent number of units in an eligible institution which operates on a schedule based on units other than semesters or quarters, except as provided by LSA-R.S. 17:3048.1.H, or §503.D or §509.C. The stipend will be paid for each Qualified Summer Session, semester, quarter, term, or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid. Attending a Qualified Summer Session for which tuition is paid will count toward the eight (8) semester limit for TOPS.

  E.4. - 5.a. ...

   b. In a program for a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate degree receive an amount equal to the Average Award Amount (TOPS-Tech), as defined in §301, plus any applicable stipend, prorated by four terms two semesters, three quarters, or equivalent units in each Program Year (Non-academic Program). The stipend will be paid for each term or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid. The stipend will be paid for each Qualified Summer Session, semester, quarter, term or equivalent unit for which tuition is paid. Attending a Qualified Summer Session for which tuition is paid will count toward the eight (8) semester limit for TOPS.

  E.6. - G.2. ...

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Chapter 8. TOPS-TECH Award

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§805. Maintaining Eligibility

  A. - A.4. ...

  5. continue to enroll and accept the TECH award as a full-time student in an eligible college or university defined in §301, and maintain an enrolled status throughout the school term Program Year (Non-Academic Program), unless granted an exception for cause by LASFAC; and

  A.6. - B. ...

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