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.

Students eligible for both institutional National Guard (NG) tuition waivers and TOPS awards must accept the institutional National Guard tuition waiver. The law prohibits students from receiving tuition payments under both awards. Legislation enacted in 2001 requires schools to pay National Guard tuition waivers in the same amount that the student would receive under TOPS. However, TOPS eligible students who are receiving National Guard tuition waivers do receive a TOPS payment of $150 each semester, as well as any TOPS stipend for which they qualify.

In determining which students are receiving National Guard tuition waivers, it is the institutions' responsibility to designate such students and report those to LOSFA as described in TOPS Bulletin T2001-22, dated November 7, 2001.

If institutions find that they have paid a National Guard student a TOPS tuition award in error, those funds must be returned to LOSFA. Schools are instructed to return the full tuition award amount; do not "net" out the $150 TOPS award payment, but request these funds through a separate billing. Performance and Honors stipends should be retained and awarded to the National Guard member student. TOPS funding is appropriated by award type and we are required to maintain clear audit trails.

For additional information or questions, please contact Jbell@osfa.state.la.us.