To assure that your Rules remain current, please record this document on your Bulletin index and retain it with your manual.

The Executive Committee of the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission approved an Emergency Rule at its meeting held on September 14, 2006, that establishes the Average Award Amount for TOPS-Tech for the 2006-2007 Program Year (Non-Academic Program). This rule affects students who attend a Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) school and are enrolled in a vocational, technical education certificate or diploma program or non-academic undergraduate degree program.

The payment rate for students attending a LAICU college or university in a non-academic or technical program is set at the average amount paid for students in the same type of program at the state’s public institutions during the prior year. Under normal conditions, the average award amount calculated for the 2005-2006 Program Year (Non-Academic Program) would be used as the payment rate for the 2006-2007 Program Year (Non-Academic Program). But the 2005-2006 year was not representative because Hurricanes Katrina and Rita severely disrupted the state’s student enrollment.

To counteract the effects of the hurricanes, this change retains the same payment rate used for the 2005-2006 program year for the 2006-2007 program year. Thus, full-time students attending a LAICU school and enrolled in a non-academic or technical program will receive an annual maximum TOPS-Tech award of $792.

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.

The added language is underlined.

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 IV. Student Financial Assistance- Higher
Education Scholarship and Grant Programs

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.
* * *
   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.
* * *

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3021-3025, 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).

George Badge Eldredge
General Counsel