Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)

The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a program of state scholarships for Louisiana residents who attend either one of the Louisiana Public Colleges and Universities, schools that are a part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana approved Proprietary and Cosmetology Schools or institutions that are a part of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

How Do I Apply?

To apply for a TOPS scholarship, you must submit one of the following:

1. You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), unless you can demonstrate that you do not qualify for federal grant aid (Pell Grant). We recommend that all students submit the FAFSA. The most direct way to file the FAFSA is via the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The paper FAFSA may also be used.
2. If you can demonstrate that you do not qualify for federal grant aid, you may submit the TOPS On-Line Application on the LOSFA website (https://www.osfa.la.gov/AwardSystem/). The On-Line Application requires you to certify that you do not qualify for federal grant aid and to certify your citizenship, residency and criminal conviction status.

What are the Basics Requirements for the Scholarship?

• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as defined by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
• You must be a CORE 4 Curriculum graduate (see here for 2011-2013 graduates or here for 2014 and beyond graduates), with a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale.
• An ACT score of 17 (a score of 19 for BESE approved home study programs) or an SAT score of 820 (total of the sub-scores for the critical reading and mathematics sections)
  
  Please visit the TOPS Questions and Answers page for more details.

The four different award components of the TOPS Program are: TOPS Opportunity Award, TOPS Performance Award, TOPS Honors Award, and TOPS Tech Award. For more infomration, please visit the LOSFA website for more specifics.