Advisors should ask every student:
Are you receiving TOPS Tech?
Even if a student is eligible for other TOPS awards (Opportunity, Performance
or Honors), he or she must adhere to TOPS
Tech rules. His or her Opportunity, Performance or Honors Award functions as
a TOPS Tech award while enrolled in a
technical program of study. Opportunity, Performance or Honors Awards cannot
be used at a proprietary or cosmetology
school.
TOPS Tech Continuation Requirements
1. FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT
• Students receiving TOPS Tech must be enrolled full-time (as defined by your
institution) as of the 15th class day at a semester school
or as of the 10th class day at a quarter school every semester or quarter
they enroll and maintain continuous enrollment
• Once past the specified “census” date, the student may drop courses to
below full-time status according to your institutional
policies, but must still meet the academic year earned hours requirement (see
# 3)
• Students enrolled at proprietary and cosmetology schools must be enrolled
full-time on one of the following days of record:
September 1, December 1, March 1 or June 1.
2. CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT
• Students who resign from all classes will have their award canceled
(Students resigning for exceptional/extenuating
circumstances should contact LOSFA)
• Students may not withdraw or take a leave of absence without approval from
LOSFA (see #5)
3. HOURS EARNED
• TOPS recipients must EARN 24 credit hours per Academic Year (fall, spring
and summer terms)
If student is not required to take summer hours by his or her institution,
TOPS Tech does not require students to attend.
However, if a student chooses to attend during the summer, TOPS Tech will pay
for those hours. Summer hours count
toward the student’s 24 hour Academic Year total
• For TOPS Tech Purposes, Earned Hours INCLUDE
Credit hours earned during an intersession
Credit hours in required remedial/developmental courses that are completed
successfully (grades of NC or F will not be
included)
Credit hours successfully completed with a grade of “D” or better
Credit hours earned in Correspondence Studies if final grade is recorded on
the official transcript as completed within
the Academic Year
For TOPS Tech Purposes, Earned Hours DO NOT INCLUDE
Earned credit hours by exam (CLEP), advanced placement, or standardized
test scores
Courses scheduled and completed, but no credit earned due to failing or
incomplete grade
A student who does not enroll full-time, remain continuously enrolled, or
does not earn 24 credit hours per academic year will
have his or her TOPS Tech award permanently CANCELED. TOPS Tech Students
enrolling for the first time as a full-time
student in a winter or spring term will not be checked for the 24 hour
requirement for the first academic year.
4. TOPS Tech GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
Cumulative TOPS Tech GPA is determined by the Louisiana Office of Student
Financial Assistance and is based on all
coursework attempted by the student at all institutions attended.
• Students must meet Steady Academic Progress (Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA) at
the end of every semester
Students receiving the TOPS Tech Award must earn a minimum 2.5 cumulative
GPA at the end of every Spring Semester.
Failure to do so will result in award suspension
Students attending proprietary and cosmetology schools must make
satisfactory academic progress using the school’s Title
IV Federal Aid criteria
Once a student has had their TOPS Tech Award suspended due to not meeting
Steady Academic Progress or the required
TOPS Cumulative GPA, they have 12 months to regain the required GPA
Students who fail to regain the required TOPS Tech GPA within 12 months of
suspension will have their Award canceled.
During periods of suspension, all continuation requirements must be met to
qualify for reinstatement of the award.
5. EXCEPTIONAL/EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
• Student may apply to have his or her circumstances considered for failure
to achieve the required hours earned or to maintain
full-time continuous enrollment. Contact LOSFA (800-259-5626, ext. 1012 or
custserv@osfa.la.gov) for details
• There is no appeal for suspensions or subsequent cancellations due to not
meeting the TOPS Tech Cumulative GPA
requirement
LOSFA - 800-259-5626, ext. 1012 - custserv@osfa.la.gov
Revised: August 2010
Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Do not attempt to
complete before
January 1st. DEADLINE: April, 2009
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/