TOPS Procedures for Simultaneous Enrollment in Two or More Schools |
LOUISIANA
STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
|
|
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.