TOPS Procedures for Simultaneous Enrollment in Two or More Schools

LOUISIANA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Bulletin
TOPS BULLETIN NUMBER:
T2000-04
DATE ISSUED:
March 17, 2000
EFFECTIVE DATE:
As Indicated
DISTRIBUTION: Louisiana College and University, Technical College, and LAICU Chancellors, Financial Aid Offices, and Business Offices, System Governance, Board of Regents, Department of Education, Louisiana Officials, and Commission Members
TOPIC: Additional TOPS Core Curriculum Equivalent Courses

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.

Rules of the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission, (specifically, Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28, Part IV) have been revised to provide definitions and award procedures for the TOPS Program when a student is enrolled simultaneously in two or more institutions of higher education. This includes students who are enrolled in two or more institutions under consortium agreements.

"Chapter 3.     Definitions

***

§301. Definitions

            ...

            Full-Time Student——

            a. - d. ...
   
         e. a student enrolled in two or more institutions of higher education when such multiple enrollment is necessary for the student to gain access to the courses required for completion of the degree in the chosen discipline and where the total number of hours earned at all institutions during the academic year is the equivalent of carrying a full-time academic workload as determined by the institution which will award the degree.

            ...

***

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

§701. General Provisions
   
         A.-D. ...

E.         Award Amounts. The specific award amounts for each component of TOPS are as follows.
   
         1. - 10. ...
   
         11.           Students enrolled and attending more than one college or university at the same time shall be awarded as follows:
   
                     a. Students attending two or more Louisiana public two or four-year colleges or universities shall receive a total amount not to exceed the amount that would be paid at the school with the highest tuition among those at which the student is simultaneously enrolled.
   
                     b. Students attending two or more regionally accredited independent colleges or universities which are members of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) shall receive a total amount not to exceed the Weighted Average Award Amount, as defined in §301.
   
                     c. Students attending a combination of Louisiana public two or four-year colleges or universities and regionally accredited independent colleges or universities which are members of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (LAICU) shall receive a total amount not to exceed the amount that would be paid at the public school with the highest tuition among those at which the student is simultaneously enrolled or the Weighted Average Award Amount, whichever amount is greater.

...

PROCEDURES FOR DUAL BILLING:

 

1.         Students enrolled full time and billed at the maximum rate at one institution are not eligible for TOPS funding
            at another institution for the same term.

2.         Students whose enrollment at multiple institutions is necessitated by the program of study pursued and whose
            enrollment at any one institution is not considered full-time, may be considered eligible for TOPS funding if the combined number of
            enrolled hours from the multiple schools is equivalent to full time enrollment as determined by the home institution. These students will
            be termed "dual enrolled" students.

3.         The financial aid administrator at the student’s home institution (degree granting) is designated as the billing coordinator for that student.

4.         The student is responsible for securing verification of necessity for dual enrollment from the appropriate university official and providing
            this verification to the financial aid offices at the home (degree granting) and guest institution(s). Verification provided to the guest
            institution should include where they are to forward enrollment verification and Manual Payment Rosters. Schools may develop forms to
            gather this information.

5.         The guest institution is responsible for forwarding enrollment verification after the 14th class day to the home institution along with a
            Manual Payment Request (MPR) for the tuition charged at the guest institution.

6.         The billing coordinator collects verification of 14th class day enrollment from the guest institution(s) along with their Manual Payment
            Request (MPR), and confirms the following:

                    a. Total number of hours enrolled at both (all) institutions totals 12 or more semester schools and 8 or more at quarter schools.

                    b. The total funding requested does not exceed the highest TOPS tuition of the institutions involved

7.         The billing coordinator completes a Manual Payment Request (MPR) for the home institution and forwards ALL MPR’s to LOSFA.

8.         Upon processing of the MPR’s, LOSFA will forward checks and Tuition Payment Rosters directly to all institutions.

9          Each institution is responsible for retaining documentation necessary to support all billings.

10.        Institutions billing on the basis of system wide total hours are responsible for forwarding payments to other institutions included in the
             total enrollment and notifying LOSFA of the amounts paid to each institution. Amounts billed should be actual amounts due at each
             institution.


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