Maintaining Your GPA for TOPS Scholarship Eligibility: A Comprehensive Guide
The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a Louisiana state scholarship program that provides financial assistance to Louisiana high school graduates who attend eligible Louisiana colleges and universities. TOPS offers several award components, each with its own eligibility requirements, including GPA standards that students must maintain to remain eligible. This article provides a detailed overview of the GPA requirements for different TOPS awards and other factors influencing eligibility.
Initial Eligibility for TOPS
To be initially eligible for TOPS, high school graduates must meet specific academic criteria, including a minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA and ACT score. The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) evaluates the records of all Louisiana high school graduates whose parents are also Louisiana residents to determine eligibility. LOSFA notifies high school graduates of their eligibility during the summer following their high school graduation.
Core Curriculum and GPA
A student must have a minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA. It is important to note that TOPS eligibility is based on your TOPS Core GPA, not your overall cumulative GPA, and that TOPS does not round GPAs.
Required Units
Make sure that you are taking the correct required units that comprise the TOPS Core Curriculum. Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum is required for many TOPS awards.
ACT/SAT Scores
Include the ACT TOPS code of 1595 and/or the SAT TOPS code of 9019 on all ACT/SAT test registrations. TOPS does not accept an ACT Superscore. A student must earn a minimum ACT score, depending on the TOPS award.
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Other Requirements
In order to be considered for TOPS, the student must attend a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Approved High School. All Louisiana public schools are approved. A student must be a US citizen or permanent resident and meet TOPS Louisiana Residency requirements. A student must enroll full-time as a first-time freshman by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation.
GPA Requirements for Continued Eligibility
Maintaining TOPS eligibility requires students to meet specific GPA requirements throughout their college careers. The required GPA varies depending on the specific TOPS award received.
General GPA Rule
If your cumulative external GPA falls below a 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at the end of fall, summer, or any intersession, your award will be suspended for failure to maintain.
TOPS Opportunity Award
If you receive the TOPS Opportunity Award, you must earn at least a 2.3 cumulative external GPA if you have less than 48 credit hours or a 2.5 cumulative external GPA if you have 48 or more credit hours.
TOPS Performance and Honors Awards
If you receive the TOPS Performance or the TOPS Honors Award, you must earn at least a 3.0 cumulative external GPA.
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GPA Calculation and Review
At no time (by the end of each semester) can your cumulative GPA drop below a 2.0. If this happens you will be suspended from TOPS immediately and remain so until you reestablish eligibility by earning a cumulative 2.5 GPA. At the end of each Spring semester, you must have a cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or higher.
Credit Hour Requirements
In addition to GPA requirements, TOPS recipients must also meet certain credit hour requirements to maintain eligibility.
24-Hour Rule
You must successfully complete no less than 24 credit hours during an academic year. If you do not pass 24 hours for the year, you will lose your TOPS award. The academic year for TOPS is defined as the Fall semester, Winter intersession, Spring semester, Spring intersession, and the Summer sessions. Each semester you must enroll full time (12 or more credits) as of the 15th instructional class day (6 or more credits for Summer term) as of the 7th instructional class day.
Summer Hours
If you have a 2.50 cumulative GPA at the end of the Spring semester but do not have the 24 credit hours passed, you can use hours earned in the summer sessions to meet the 24 credit hours per academic year requirement. Hours earned during the Intersession between Fall and Spring Semesters will be counted toward meeting the 24 Hours Annual Requirement but not toward Full-Time Enrollment.
Maintaining Continuous Enrollment
The recipient of a TOPS award must maintain continuous full-time enrollment, unless granted an exception. Failure to enroll full time, maintain continuous enrollment or earn 24 hours results in cancellation of award and it cannot be reinstated without an Approved Request for Exception to the Initial, Continuous, or Full-Time Enrollment, and/or 24 Hour Requirement.
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Exceptions to Continuous Enrollment
To be granted an exception, the student/recipient must meet all TOPS requirements, except the initial, continuous or full-time enrollment requirement. The student should complete and submit an exception request form, with supporting documentation, to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance as soon as possible after the occurrence of the event or circumstance that supports the reinstatement request and must submit the request no later than six months after the date of the notice of cancellation.
Consequences of Not Maintaining GPA
Failing to maintain the required GPA can lead to suspension or cancellation of the TOPS award.
Suspension
If you lose your TOPS award due to not maintaining the GPA requirement, you have up to two years to bring up your grade point average from the date you lost your award. During any period of TOPS suspension, you must continue enrolling full time even though you are self-paying.
Reinstatement
You will have one year after your TOPS award is suspended to reestablish your eligibility, beyond this time frame, your TOPS award will be cancelled.
Opportunity Award Reinstatement
At the end of each Spring semester, you must have a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or better to maintain your TOPS Performance or Honors award. If your GPA is below this requirement your TOPS award will be suspended and you can regain eligibility at a TOPS Opportunity level once you attain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
Other Factors Affecting TOPS Eligibility
Several other factors can affect a student's TOPS eligibility, including completing coursework, name discrepancies, and program eligibility.
Incomplete Grades
An incomplete (I) grade makes you ineligible for TOPS until that grade is completed. An assessment will then be done to determine eligibility. This means that if you do not complete the (I) grade at the beginning of the next semester, you will have to pay your tuition and be reimbursed when you regain eligibility.
Name Consistency
Make sure that your name is the same on all documents (school records, ACT test registrations, FAFSA, college applications, etc.). Pick a name and stick with it. Spelling, spacing, punctuation and abbreviation matter!
Program Eligibility
General Studies and the Louisiana Transfer Degrees are not eligible programs for the TOPS Tech award. CNA, Electrical Construction, and Plumbing Construction programs are not eligible for TOPS. Registered Nursing is an eligible program for TOPS Tech award for students that graduated high school after 2016.
Graduating with Fewer Than 12 Credits
If you are graduating at the end of the semester and require fewer than 12 credits to graduate, you may be eligible for TOPS with fewer than 12 credits. Notify the Financial Aid Office!
Types of TOPS Awards and GPA Requirements
TOPS has four award components: Opportunity, Performance, Honors, and Excellence. Each has different GPA and ACT score requirements for initial and continued eligibility.
TOPS Opportunity Award
- Initial Eligibility: ACT Score of 20, GPA 2.50 (TOPS Core Curriculum)
- Renewal Requirements: Minimum 2.30 GPA at the end of the first Academic Year (between 24-47 hours of earned credit). Minimum 2.50 GPA at the end of all other Academic Years (once 48 hours have been earned).
TOPS Performance Award
- Initial Eligibility: ACT Score of 23, GPA 3.25 (TOPS Core Curriculum)
- Renewal Requirements: 3.00 GPA at the end of all Academic Years.
TOPS Honors Award
- Initial Eligibility: ACT Score of 27, GPA 3.50 (TOPS Core Curriculum)
- Renewal Requirements: 3.00 GPA at the end of all Academic Years.
TOPS Excellence Award
- Initial Eligibility: Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of at least 3.50, a minimum ACT score of 31.
- Renewal Requirements: Earn a cumulative minimum 3.00 GPA at the end of all Academic Years.
Additional Tips for Maintaining TOPS Eligibility
- Create a Louisiana Award System account after May 1 of your senior year to track initial TOPS eligibility and your continuation eligibility throughout your postsecondary education.
- If you take a dual enrollment class using TOPS Tech Early Start, the name you use to register for the course is the name your Louisiana Award System account will be created under. Also, grades earned in dual enrollment courses for college credit become part of your cumulative college GPA.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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