LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER: T2003-6
DATE ISSUED: May 7, 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:

New TOPS Status Codes

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.

To more precisely define the status of Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) recipients, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance has added three new TOPS Status Codes. A complete listing of TOPS Status Codes is shown below, with the new Status Codes and definitions in bold type.

The new status codes "07 and "08" are used to indicate students who have been notified by LOSFA to provide additional documentation to verify their Louisiana residency. Those in a suspended status ("07") have until January, 2004 to provide the requested documentation before being cancelled. Students with the status code "08" are cancelled because the documentation provided showed that they did not meet the mandatory residency requirement for TOPS. These students are not eligible for payment. Schools will not be required to recoup TOPS funds disbursed to ineligible students in this category. LOSFA is corresponding directly with these students.

Status code "67" was introduced when the new format for reporting academic information was implemented. Students who have not completed courses reported as incomplete (I), and as a result cannot show that they have successfully completed 24 hours during the academic year, are not eligible for payment. Please submit corrected grade reports for completed "I" grades as soon as they are available.

TOPS MASTER FILE STATUS CODES
00  New Eligible
01  Approved Renewal
03  Ineligible - Other
06  Ineligible - Audit Finding or Canceled ACT Score
07  Suspended - "At Risk" Residency
08  Cancelled - "At Risk" Residency
10  Renewal Canceled
40  Graduated
42  Suspended - College GPA less than required
44  Cancelled - Annual Hours Earned less than 24
46  Ineligible - Award not Accepted 1st year, requires school certification if full time fall semester or term of 2nd year.
49  Ineligible - more than 24 months GPA award suspension
50  Ineligible - Award not Accepted by end of 2nd Year
53  Death
54  Ineligible - Maximum Years of Award Payment
60  Ineligible - Non-continuous Enrollment
61  Ineligible - Resigned
63  Eligible for 2 or 4 year School only, 2 years in Tech Program
67  Ineligible - Incomplete Hours
91  Renewal Pending

If you have questions concerning these TOPS Status Codes or any other TOPS matters, contact John Bell, Awards and Renewal Manager at jbell@osfa.state.la.us.