Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 28 - EDUCATION › Part IV - Student Financial Assistance-Higher Education Scholarship and Grant Programs › Chapter 7 - Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards › Section IV-705 - Maintaining Eligibility

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. To
				continue receiving the TOPS Opportunity, Performance or Honors Awards, the
				recipient must meet all of the following criteria:
1. have received less than four years or
				eight semesters of TOPS Award funds, except as provided in
				§701.
				E.1 b,
				§701.
				E.2.b and
				§701.
				E.3 b; and
2. submit the renewal FAFSA in accordance
				with §505 F;
				and
3. not have a criminal
				conviction, except for misdemeanor traffic violations and if the student has
				been in the United States Armed Forces and has separated from such service, has
				received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable
				conditions; and
4. agree that
				awards will be used exclusively for educational expenses; and
5. continue to enroll and accept the TOPS
				Award as a full-time undergraduate student, professional or graduate student in
				an eligible college or university defined in §301, and maintain an
				enrolled status throughout the academic term, unless granted an exception for
				cause by the board; and
6. minimum
				academic progress:
a.
i. in an academic undergraduate program at an
				eligible college or university, by the end of each academic year (TOPS), earn a
				total of at least 24 college credit hours as determined by totaling the earned
				hours reported by the institution for each semester or term in the academic
				year (TOPS), including any hours earned during an intersession ending during
				the academic year. These hours shall include remedial course work required by
				the institution, but shall not include hours earned during qualified summer
				sessions, summer sessions or intersessions that do not end during the academic
				year or by advanced placement course credits. Unless granted an exception for
				cause by the board, failure to earn the required number of hours will result in
				permanent cancellation of the recipient's eligibility; or
ii. beginning in the 2008-2009 and through
				the 2010-2011 academic year (TOPS), in an academic undergraduate program at an
				eligible college or university, by the end of each academic year (TOPS), earn a
				total of at least 24 college credit hours as determined by totaling the earned
				hours reported by the institution for each semester or quarter in the academic
				year (TOPS), including any hours earned during an intersession ending during
				the academic year or immediately following the spring term. These hours shall
				include remedial course work required by the institution, but shall not include
				hours earned during qualified summer sessions, summer sessions or intersessions
				that do not end during the academic year or intersessions that do not
				immediately follow the spring term or by advanced placement course credits.
				Unless granted an exception for cause by the board, failure to earn the
				required number of hours will result in permanent cancellation of the
				recipient's eligibility; or
iii.
				beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year (TOPS), in an academic undergraduate
				program at an eligible college or university, by the end of each academic year
				(TOPS), earn a total of at least 24 college credit hours as determined by
				totaling the earned hours reported by the institution for each semester or
				quarter, intersession and summer session in the academic year (TOPS) (includes
				any hours earned during any intersession and/or summer session ending before
				the following fall semester or quarter). These hours shall include remedial
				course work required by the institution and hours for repeated courses, but
				shall not include hours by advanced placement course credits, by credit by
				exam, or through the College-Level Examination Program. Unless granted an
				exception for cause by the board, failure to earn the required number of hours
				will result in permanent cancellation of the recipient's eligibility;
				or
b. in a program for a
				vocational or technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic
				undergraduate degree at an eligible college or university, by the end of each
				academic year (TOPS), earn a total of at least 24 college credit hours as
				determined by totaling the earned hours reported by the institution for each
				semester or quarter, intersession and summer session in the academic year
				(TOPS) (includes any hours earned during any intersession and/or summer session
				ending before the following fall semester or quarter). These hours shall
				include remedial course work required by the institution and hours for repeated
				courses, but shall not include hours by advanced placement course credits, by
				credit by exam, or through the College-Level Examination Program. Unless
				granted an exception for cause by the board, failure to earn 24 hours during
				the academic year (TOPS) will result in permanent cancellation of the
				recipient's eligibility; or
c. in
				an academic graduate or professional program at an eligible college or
				university, by the end of each academic year (TOPS), earn at least the total
				college credit hours required by the college or university for full-time
				enrollment for each semester or quarter as determined by totaling the earned
				hours reported by the institution for each semester or quarter, intersession
				and summer session in the academic year (TOPS) (includes any hours earned
				during any intersession and/or summer session ending before the following fall
				semester or quarter). These hours shall not include hours by advanced placement
				course credits, by credit by exam, or through the College-Level Examination
				Program. Unless granted an exception for cause by the board, failure to earn
				the required number of hours will result in permanent cancellation of the
				recipient's eligibility; or
d. in
				an eligible cosmetology or proprietary school, meet the federal grant aid
				steady academic progress requirement at that school; and
7. maintain
steady academic
				progress
, as defined in §301; and
8.
a.
				through the 2013-14 academic year (TOPS), maintain at an eligible college or
				university, by the end of the spring semester, quarter, or term, a TOPS
				cumulative college grade point average on a 4.00 maximum scale of at least:
i. a 2.30 with the completion of 24 but less
				than 48 credit hours, a 2.50 after the completion of 48 credit hours, for
				continuing receipt of an Opportunity Award, if enrolled in an academic program;
				or
ii. a 2.50, for continuing
				receipt of an Opportunity Award, if enrolled in a program for a vocational or
				technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate
				degree; and
b. beginning
				with the 2014-15 academic year (TOPS), maintain at an eligible college or
				university, by the end of the academic year, a TOPS cumulative college grade
				point average on a 4.00 maximum scale of at least:
i. a 2.30 with the completion of 24 but less
				than 48 credit hours, a 2.50 after the completion of 48 credit hours, for
				continuing receipt of an Opportunity Award, if enrolled in an academic program;
				or
ii. a 2.50, for continuing
				receipt of an Opportunity Award, if enrolled in a program for a vocational or
				technical education certificate or diploma or a non-academic undergraduate
				degree; and
c. the
				provisions of §705. A.8.b shall not apply during the 2014-2015 academic
				year to students who met the requirements of §705. A.7 at the end of the
				spring semester of 2015, but who did not meet the requirements of §705.
				A.8.b at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year;
d. beginning with the 2015-16 academic year
				(TOPS), maintain at an eligible college or university, by the end of the
				academic year, a TOPS cumulative college grade point average (Opportunity,
				Performance, Honors) on a 4.00 maximum scale of at least:
i. a 2.30 with 24 but less than 48 earned
				credit hours for continuing receipt of an Opportunity Award, if enrolled in an
				academic program for the last semester attended during the academic year;
				or
ii. a 2.50 with 24 but less than
				48 earned credit hours for continuing receipt of an Opportunity Award, if
				enrolled in a program for a vocational or technical education certificate or
				diploma or a non-academic undergraduate degree for the last semester attended
				during the academic year; or
iii. a
				2.50 with 48 or more earned credit hours for continuing receipt of an
				Opportunity Award, if enrolled in any program of study for the last semester
				attended during the academic year; and
e. a 3.00 for continuing receipt of either a
				Performance or Honors Award; or
f.
				the minimum grade necessary to maintain good standing, if enrolled in a
				graduate or professional program; or
g. meet the federal grant aid steady academic
				progress requirement at that school, if enrolled in an eligible cosmetology or
				proprietary school; and