La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § IV-903

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

Section IV-903 - Establishing Eligibility

A. To establish eligibility, the student applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

1. be a U.S. citizen, provided however, that a student who is not a citizen of the United States but who is eligible to apply for such citizenship shall be deemed to satisfy the citizenship requirement, if within 60 days after the date the student attains the age of majority, the student applies to become a citizen of the United States and obtains such citizenship within one year after the date of the application for citizenship. Those students who are eligible for U.S. citizenship and who otherwise qualify for a TOPS Award, will continue to satisfy the citizenship requirements for a TOPS Award for one year after the date of the student's application for citizenship, at which time, if the student has not provided proof of U.S. citizenship to the Office of Student Financial Assistance, the student's TOPS Award will be suspended until such time as proof of citizenship is provided;

2. be a resident of Louisiana, as defined in §301 for at least two years prior to July 1 of the award year; and

3. annually submit the completed free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or renewal FAFSA, whichever is applicable to the student, by the state aid deadline defined in §501. C and §505 F; and

4. either:

a. graduate from a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) -approved, provisionally-approved, or probationally-approved public or nonpublic high school; and

i. at the time of high school graduation, have successfully completed 16.5 units of high school course work constituting a core curriculum as defined in §703. A.5.a i; and

ii. at the time of high school graduation, have attained a composite score on the ACT test or the scholastic aptitude test (SAT) which is, or is equivalent to, at least a 23 on the 1990 version of the ACT; and

iii. graduate with a cumulative high school grade point average of at least a 3.25, calculated on a 4.00 scale, for all courses attempted; or

b. if by the end of June in the year of application, the student will have completed 24 or more but less than 48 hours of graded college credit, have at least a 3.25 cumulative college grade point average on a 4.00 scale; or

c. if by the end of June in the year of application, the student will have completed 48 or more hours of graded college credit, have at least a 3.00 cumulative college grade point average on a 4.00 scale; or

d. have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale; or

e. have received at least a master's degree from an accredited college or university; and

5. complete and submit such documentary evidence as may be required by the Louisiana Board of Regents (the board) by the deadline specified in §503; and

6. not have a criminal conviction, except for misdemeanor traffic violations; and

7. agree that the award will be used exclusively for educational expenses; and

8. enroll during the fall term at an eligible college or university, as defined in §1901, as a full-time student, as defined in §301, in a degree program or course of study leading to a degree in education or an alternative program leading to regular certification as a teacher at the elementary or secondary level in mathematics or chemistry.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § IV-903

Promulgated by the Student Financial Assistance Commission, Office of Student Financial Assistance, LR 22:338 (May 1996), amended LR 23:1650 (December 1997), repromulgated LR 24:637 (April 1998), amended LR 24:1906 (October 1998), LR 26:68 (January 2000), LR 26:2269 (October 2000), LR 27:284 (March 2001), LR 27:1220 (August 2001), repromulgated LR 27:1857 (November 2001), amended LR 28:448 (March 2002), LR 28:774 (April 2002), LR 28:2332 (November 2002), LR 30:2019 (September 2004), 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.