The Executive Committee of the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission (LASFAC) approved an Emergency Rule at its meeting held on September 14, 2006, that modifies the eligibility criteria and merit ranking formula for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship.

The Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship Program was established in 1980 and is funded with dedicated monies and offers competitively awarded scholarships valued at $1,000 per academic year to both undergraduate and graduate students majoring in forestry, wildlife, or marine science as it pertains to wildlife. In accepting the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship, the student agrees to attain a degree in one of the required fields at a Louisiana public college or university offering such degrees. If the student fails to successfully complete an eligible course of study, as per the agreement made between LASFAC and the student, the funds must be repaid with interest.

In the past, students with less than 24 college hours were required to be high school graduates to be eligible for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship. This change allows qualified home study completers to compete for the scholarship. In addition, the change modifies the eligibility criteria for students with less than 24 hours of college credit by setting a minimum ACT score requirement.

Beginning with the 2006-2007 Academic Year (College), to be a qualified home study completer, the applicant must have successfully completed the 12th grade level a home study program approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and have achieved an ACT score of at least 22. In addition, if the applicant ever attended a qualified high school, the student must provide a certification from the school that the student left in good standing.

Beginning with the 2006-2007 Academic Year (College), high school graduates who apply for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship Program with less than 24 hours of college credit must have an ACT score of at least 20.

The new rule includes a merit ranking formula to allow qualified home study completers to compete for a Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship.

For additional information, please contact Melanie Amrhein, Assistant Executive Director at mamrhein@osfa.state.la.us or George Eldredge, General Counsel at geldredge@osfa.state.la.us.

Added language is underlined and deleted language is struck through.

DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY

Student Financial Assistance Commission
Office of Student Financial Assistance

Scholarship/Grant Programs

(LAC 28:IV.301, 1103)

The Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission (LASFAC) is exercising the emergency provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act [R.S. 49:953(B)] to amend and re-promulgate the rules of the Scholarship/Grant programs (R.S. 17:3021-3025, R.S. 3041.10-3041.15, and R.S. 17:3042.1.1-3042.8, R.S. 17:3048.1, R.S. 56:797.D(2)).

The emergency rules are necessary to implement changes to the Scholarship/Grant programs to allow the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance and state educational institutions to effectively administer these programs. A delay in promulgating rules would have an adverse impact on the financial welfare of the eligible students and the financial condition of their families. LASFAC has determined that these emergency rules are necessary in order to prevent imminent financial peril to the welfare of the affected students.

This declaration of emergency is effective September 14, 2006, and shall remain in effect for the maximum period allowed under the Administrative Procedure Act. (SG0776E)

Title 28
EDUCATION
Part VI. Student Financial Assistance - Higher
Education Savings -Tuition Trust Authority

Chapter 3. Definitions

§301. Definitions

  Where the masculine is used, in these rules, it includes the feminine, and vice versa; where the singular is used, it includes the plural, and vice versa.

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Average Award Amount (TOPS-Tech) — is applicable to those students awarded the TOPS-Tech and TOPS Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards who attend LAICU colleges and universities and are enrolled in a vocational, technical education certificate or diploma program or non-academic undergraduate degree program, and is determined by dividing the total dollar value of awards, which are made to students enrolled in the same types of programs in the prior Program Year (Non-Academic Program) at eligible public colleges and universities that do not offer academic degrees at the baccalaureate level, by the total number of students that received the awards.

To ensure that the Average Award Amount (TOPS Tech) is not reduced for students during Program Year (Non-academic Program) 2006-2007 because of the adverse affects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on student enrollment, the Average Award Amount (TOPS Tech) for Program Year (Non-academic Program) 2006-2007 shall be the same as calculated for Program Year (Non-academic Program) 2005-2006.

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Merit Ranking Formula — a mathematical equation incorporating selected merit factors which that is used to rank eligible applicants in the priority by which competitive scholarships are to be awarded. As of July 1, 1997, the TOPS Teacher Award and Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship are the only programs in which applicants are competitively ranked. The following formulas for the merit ranking of scholarship applicants provide for the equating of scores for high school graduating seniors and college students.

a. Formula I — applies to applicants for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship with less than 24 hours of graded college credit and to applicants for the TOPS Teacher Award with less than 48 hours of graded college credit:

b. Formula IA — applies to applicants for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship who are qualified home study completers with less than 24 hours of graded college credit:

b.c. Formula II — applies to applicants for the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship with 24 or more hours of graded college credit and to applicants for the TOPS Teacher Award with 48 or more hours of graded college credit:

c.d. Formula III — applies to applicants for the TOPS Teacher Award. For those applicants majoring in math or chemistry, an additional 10 points are added to the merit score determined by Formula I or II, resulting in an adjusted merit score.

d.e. Applicants’ merit scores are ranked in descending order with the applicant with the highest merit score ranked first. The number of applicants selected for award is dependent upon the amount of award funds available.

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AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3021-3036, R.S. 17:3042.1 and R.S. 17:3048.1.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Student Financial Assistance Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 22:338 (May 1996), repromulgated LR 24:632 (April 1998), amended LR 24:1898 (October 1998), LR 24:2237 (December 1998), LR 25:256 (February 1999), LR 25:654 (April 1999), LR 25:1458 and 1460 (August 1999), LR 25:1794 (October 1999), LR 26:65 (January 2000), LR 26:688 (April 2000), LR 26:1262 (June 2000), LR 26:1601 (August 2000), LR 26:1993 and 1999 (September 2000), LR 26:2268 (October 2000), LR 26:2752 (December 2000), LR 27:36 (January 2001), LR 27:284 (March 2001), LR 27:1219 (August 2001), repromulgated LR 27:1842 (November 2001), amended LR 27:1875 (November 2001), LR 28:45 (January 2002), LR 28:446 (March 2002), LR 28:772 (April 2002), LR 28:2330 and 2331 (November 2002), LR 29:555 (April 2003), LR 29:879 (June 2003), LR 30:1159 (June 2004), LR 30:2015 (September 2004), LR 31:36 (January 2005), LR 31:3112 (December 2005).


Chapter 11. Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship

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§1103. Establishing Eligibility

To establish eligibility, the student applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

1. be a U.S. citizen or national or eligible noncitizen; and

2. be a resident of Louisiana, as defined in §301 of LAC 28:IV for at least one year prior to July 1 of the Award Year; and

3. submit the completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA, whichever is applicable to the student, by final deadline set forth in §501.C or §505.F.; and

4. complete and submit such documentary evidence as may be required by LASFAC; and

5. not have a criminal conviction, except for misdemeanor traffic violations; and

6. agree that award proceeds will be used exclusively for educational expenses; and

7. be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at a Louisiana public college or university majoring in forestry, wildlife or marine science, with the intent of obtaining a degree from a Louisiana public college or university offering a degree in one of the three specified fields; and

8. a. must have graduated from high school, and if at the time of application the student applicant has earned less than 24 hours of graded college credit since graduating from high school, have earned a minimum cumulative high school grade point average of at least 2.50 calculated on a 4.00 scale for all courses completed in grades 9 through 12, and have taken the ACT or SAT and received test score results and, beginning with the 2006-2007 Academic Year (College), have an ACT Score of at least 20; or

    b. beginning with the 2006-2007 Academic Year (College), must be a qualified home study completer and, if at the time of application the student applicant has earned less than 24 hours of graded college credit since graduating from high school, achieve an ACT Score of at least 22; or

    b.c. if, at the time of application, the student applicant has earned 24 or more hours of college credit, then the applicant must have at least a 2.50 cumulative college grade point average; or.

    c.d. If if, at the time of application, the student is in graduate school, then the applicant must have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average on all credits earned in graduate school.

9. To be a qualified home study completer for the purposes of this Section, the applicant must:

(a) Successfully complete at the twelfth grade level a home study program approved by BESE; or
(b) If a Louisiana public high school, a Louisiana nonpublic high school, an approved non-Louisiana high school, or an out-of-state high school was previously attended, has provided LASFAC with certification by the previously attended high school that said student was in good standing at the time the student last attended such school.

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AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3021-3036, R.S. 17:3042.1 and R.S. 17:3048.1.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Student Financial Assistance Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 24:639 (April 1998), amended LR 24:1908 (October 1998), LR 27:1220 (August 2001), repromulgated LR 27:1859 (November 2001), amended LR 28:774 (April 2002), LR 29:125 (February 2003), LR 30:2020 (September 2004).

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George Badge Eldredge
General Counsel