La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § IV-901

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section IV-901 - General Provisions

A. Legislative Authority. The TOPS Teacher Award Program was created by Act 476, of the 1997 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and amended by Act 165 of the 1998 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature. This bill amended and reenacted R.S. 17:3042.1(A)(3) and (4), (B), (C), and (D), and 3042.2(A) and (B); reenacted R.S. 17:3042.1(A)(5) and (6) and 3042.8; and renamed chapter 20-B of title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

B. Description, History and Purpose. The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Teacher Award:

1. annually provides approximately 90 competitively-awarded educational loans to residents of Louisiana who commit to teach at the elementary or secondary school level in Louisiana. When the recipient teaches at an approved school in Louisiana, the loans are forgiven in the ratio of one year of loan forgiveness for each year of teaching, or two years of loan forgiveness for each year of teaching in an elementary or secondary school which is located in an economically disadvantaged region of the state as defined by the U.S. Department of Education;

2. was first funded for the 1997-98 award year;

3. was created to provide an incentive for Louisiana's best and brightest students to become tomorrow's classroom teachers and to provide an incentive that will attract highly qualified teachers in mathematics and chemistry at the elementary and secondary school levels.

C. Award Amounts

1. Loans are made in the amount of up to $6,000 per award year for mathematics and chemistry majors.

2. Loans are made in the amount of up to $4,000 per year for teacher education majors other than those listed in §901. C.1

3. Recipient may receive a maximum of four years of funding.

4. Recipients receive one half of the annual award ($3,000 or $2,000, respectively) at the beginning of the fall and spring terms.

5. Recipients may, in conjunction with the Teachers Award, receive another TOPS Award.

6. In the event the student's total aid, including vocational rehabilitation awards, exceeds the cost of attendance, any federal loan aid included in the total aid package shall be reduced, then institutional and other aid in accordance with institutional practice, then the TOPS Teacher Award shall be reduced by the amount of any remaining over award.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § IV-901

Promulgated by the Student Financial Assistance Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 22:338 (May 1996), amended LR 23:1649 (December 1997), repromulgated LR 24:637 (April 1998), amended LR 24:1906 (October 1998), LR 26:69 (January 2000), repromulgated LR 27:1856 (November 2001), Amended by the Board of Regents, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 44529 (3/1/2018).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:3021-3031, R.S. 17:3042.1 and R.S. 17:5001 et seq.