Citizenship, Residency & Criminal Convictions

2. Citizenship, Residency &Criminal Convictions • Citizenship • A student must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident who is eligible to apply for citizenship • Residency • A student who has resided in Louisiana, completed their last two full years of high school in an approved school and graduated, as certified by the high school, shall have met the residency requirement for TOPS OR • 24 consecutive months for a parent or custodian of a dependent student • Criminal Convictions • Must not have any final criminal convictions. This does exclude misdemeanor traffic violations

3. TOPS Core Curriculum – 19 UnitsFor students graduating in 2014 - 2017 • English – 4 Units • Math – 4 Units • Science – 4 Units • Social Studies – 4 Units • Foreign Language – 2 Units (same language) • Fine Arts – 1 Unit (or 1 Performance, Studio, Visual Art or Speech III & IV) • Please visit our Web site for more details

4. ACT • Without Penalty: April 12, 2014 • Loss of 1 semester eligibility: June 14, 2014 • Students who fail to achieve a qualifying ACT score by July 1 of the graduating year shall not be considered for an award • Highest composite score will be considered • TOPS does not consider the essay portion of the ACT when calculating the composite score needed to qualify • List TOPS code 1595 & your SSN on the ACT

5. SAT • An equivalent SAT score may be substituted for the ACT score • SAT Test Deadlines • Without Penalty: March 8, 2014 • Loss of 1 semester eligibility: May 3, 2014 and June 7, 2014 • Students must use the SAT scholarship code 9019 on the registration form • TOPS does not consider the essay portion of the SAT when calculating the composite score to qualify

6. Opportunity, Performance & Honors Awards • GPA on a 4.00 scale (not rounded) on 19.0 core units • Must complete the 19 core units (for 2014 – 2017 grads) • Maximum of eight semesters or twelve quarters • A TOPS award may be combined with other forms of financial aid up to the “Cost of Attendance” for the institution • Provides amount equal to tuition to a public school in Louisiana OR the average cost of a public education tuition to a private LAICU school • ($2043 per semester for 2013-2014)

7. TOPS Eligible Institutions: LAICU • Centenary College • Dillard University • Louisiana College • Loyola University • New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary • Our Lady of Holy Cross College • Our Lady of the Lake College • St. Joseph Seminary College • Tulane University • Xavier University

8. TOPS Awards • Opportunity Award (tuition amount) • 2.50 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum score of a 20 on the ACT (940 SAT) • Performance Award (tuition plus $400 annual stipend) • 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum score of 23 on the ACT (1050 SAT) • Honors Award (tuition plus $800 annual stipend) • 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum score of 27 on the ACT (1210 SAT)

9. TOPS Application • Apply Jan 1 – July 1 of graduation year • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – www.fafsa.ed.gov • Must be completed if the student is eligible for federal grant aid (Pell Grant) • Must be completed if the student is seeking any other form of financial aid • The only application needed for TOPS

10. TOPS Processing Cycle • STEP 1 – Student takes ACT • ACT scores are sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 2 – Student files FAFSA (Jan 1-July 1) • FAFSA data is sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 3 – Student completes 19 core units prior to high school graduation • Academic Records from the high schools are sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 4 – Student is determined eligible for TOPS • Students will be mailed an award letter (by mid-July) • College will see student online at TOPS Master Roster • STEP 5 – College will send LOSFA a bill • Students enrolled full-time through the 14th class day

11. Award Details • TOPS Recipients serving in the National Guard will receive: tuition exemption equal to the TOPS award amount, any applicable TOPS stipend and $600 annually for books and supplies • Students who join the military have 1 year from their date of separation to enroll in college • Returning Out of State Students – cannot use TOPS out of state, can come back and use remaining semesters if continuation requirements were met • Graduate Study – can use remaining semesters

12. TOPS Continuation • Award Letter • TOPS recipients should familiarize themselves with the Rights and Responsibilities included with their award letter • TOPS recipients are personally responsible for knowing and complying with the TOPS continuation requirements • Award Acceptance • Students have one year in which to enroll in a Louisiana approved post-secondary institution • Must be continuously enrolled on a full-time basis during the Fall and Spring semesters or Fall, Winter, Spring quarters • Award Retention • 24 Hours each academic year, excluding Advanced Placement hours • GPA requirement for each award level • Renewal of the FAFSA is highly recommended

13. TOPS Retention: GPA • At the end of each Academic Year, the following cumulative GPA must be maintained: • Opportunity Award: 2.30 first academic year 2.50 all subsequent years • Performance Award: 3.00 • Honors Award: 3.00 • Students falling below 3.00 would revert to the Opportunity Award • Tech Award: 2.50 • Must meet steady academic progress requirements of 2.00 at the end of any semester or quarter • Award is reinstated upon attainment of the required GPA • Students failing to meet their GPA requirement will be placed on suspension not to exceed two years/one year for Tech or Award will be canceled

14. What is College? • Think of “college” as any form of education after graduating high school: • Public Colleges • Private Colleges • Community Colleges • Louisiana Technical Colleges • Cosmetology Schools • Proprietary Schools

15. Types of Financial Aid • Scholarships • Gift Aid – Based on Merit • Grants • Gift Aid – Based on Need • Employment Opportunities • Loans • Must be repaid – may be based on need

16. Institutional Aid • Each institution has its own merit-based scholarship programs • Many schools have their own need-based aid programs • Investigate aid opportunities early • Each institution has its own aid application process and deadline • Upperclassmen should also check with their department for aid opportunities for students in a specific major

17. Private Aid • The best source of information on private aid is the Internet. There are numerous free scholarship search services available • See LOSFA website Useful Internet Links page or Surfing the Web for a listing • Private aid can be based on merit or financial need • Sources of private aid include companies, civic organizations, religious organizations, clubs, etc.

18. Campus-Based Federal Aid Programs www.studentaid.ed.gov • Federal Work Study • Pell Grant • Maximum award amount is $5,500/yr • FSEOG • Grants range from $100 - $4,000 • TEACH Grant • Provides up to $4,000/yr to students who intend to teach in schools that serve students in low income families • Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant • Federal Perkins Loans • Direct Loans

19. FAFSA

20. FAFSA • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application for both federal and state aid programs • Be sure to fill out the FAFSA even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for need based aid • The FAFSA is the only application needed for the TOPS scholarship • You should never be asked to pay to fill out the FAFSA. It is a FREE application • www.fafsa.ed.gov

21. FAFSA: Student Information • Social Security Number • State of Legal Residence • Citizenship status • Interest in Student Loans and Work-Study programs • Financial information = your income, assets, and types of federal benefits received • Highest grade completed by Parent 1 and Parent 2 • High School completion status • High School Diploma • GED • Home Study • Name of student’s High School

22. FAFSA: Parental Information • Skip if you are an independent student • Remember: Grandparents, foster parents and Legal Guardians cannot complete this application • Whose information do you use? • If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with most during the past 12 months • If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse • If your parents are not married and live together, select “unmarried and both parents live together” and provide information about both • If your parent is single or widowed, answer the questions about that parent • If your widowed parent is remarried, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse

23. FAFSA: Student and Parent Financial Information • Students will record their income, assets, and types of federal benefits they receive • Parents will record their income, assets, and type of federal benefits they receive • Parents and Students are encouraged to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing FAFSA. This tool allows you to access your IRS tax return information and transfer it directly to FAFSA from the IRS website. It’s the easiest way to provide your tax data.

24. FAFSA: School Information • May list up to 10 institutions to receive FAFSA data when filing online • Make sure to list a Louisiana school first for TOPS purposes • Housing plan • Enrollment status

25. FAFSA: Signatures • For a dependent student, both the student and the parent must sign • FAFSA on the Web may be signed by: • Using a pin number • The parent and student must have separate pin numbers • Parents may use the same PIN for all of their children • Printing the signature page • Must mail within 14 days

26. Student Aid Report (SAR) • The SAR provides you with: • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • Pell Grant Eligibility • Listing of Institutions which will receive your data • A financial aid history • A listing of your responses to the FAFSA • Corrections may be made: • Online at www.fafsa.ed.gov • By phone at (800) 433-3243

27. Senior Year Timeline

28. Senior Year Timeline • Summer before Senior Year: • Contact the financial aid offices of the colleges you are interested in attending for information on institutional aid opportunities • Search for private scholarships and grants • Schedule campus visits at the schools you are interested in attending • If you are an athlete and plan to play in college, register with the NCAA Clearinghouse • If you would like to attend a U.S. Military Academy, write your U.S. Senator or Representative

29. Senior Year Timeline • Fall of Senior Year: • Meet with your counselor to make sure you are on track for TOPS and college admissions requirements • Apply for college admissions • Apply for institutional scholarships • Apply for private aid • Attend College Fairs and Career Day events • Take the ACT or SAT again

30. Senior Year Timeline • Spring of Senior Year: • Apply for TOPS and Federal Aid by filing the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov • Take the ACT or SAT again • Contact the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend to verify: FAFSA deadline, meet with a financial aid officer if you have special circumstances, notify the office of any private aid you will be receiving, complete the institutional data form (if required) • Receive your financial aid award letter • Compare your financial aid packages and decide which school you want to attend

31. ACT • Beginning academic year 2014-2015 a minimum English AND Math sub-score on ACT are required for a student to qualify for college level coursework at a four-year public institution in Louisiana • English Sub-score = 18 • Math Sub-score = 19 • Students who do not meet the minimum English AND Math ACT sub-score requirement will require developmental coursework, therefore making them ineligible for admission at a four year institution • It is always recommended to speak with the Admissions Office at the school you wish to attend as some may give special consideration based on other factors

32. Contact LOSFA www.osfa.la.gov custserv@la.gov LIKE us on Facebook! (800) 259-5626 (225) 219-1012 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

33. Contact Mrs. Schlotterer College Corner microsite http://www.runnels.org/microsite/display/college-corner (225) 751-2192 d.schlotterer@runnels.org