There has been TOPS Rule Change! Please read all of the information provided carefully. On March 19, 2012, the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission amended Section 301 of the Scholarship and Grant Program Rules to change the definition of academic year (college) to include summer sessions.

Beginning with the 2011-2012 Academic Year and thereafter, the TOPS Academic Year begins with the fall term of the award year and concludes immediately before the next fall term commences.

***All intersessions (at semester school) and summer sessions/terms are included.

 ***TOPS does not automatically pay for summer sessions, certain conditions apply.

For TOPS Opportunity, Performance and Honors recipients in Academic Programs, this change means: Your window to earn 24 Academic Year Hours to meet the TOPS requirement now includes Summer. Hours earned from all semesters and terms from Fall through Summer will be included.

If your TOPS Award is in Good Standing at the conclusion of Spring Term, and you meet any of the criteria below, TOPS funding for Summer Session is available, if you elect to request it by completing the TOPS Summer Session Payment Request and Acknowledgment Form. It is important to remember that using TOPS for Summer Funding counts as one of your eight semesters or twelve quarters.

Specific Conditions Under Which TOPS Opportunity, Performance and Honors Awards Pays for Summer:

• You must enroll in a minimum of 8 hours. These hours can come from one or all sessions
• You must have earned a minimum of 60 hours by the end of Spring 2013
• Be prepared to pay out of pocket if you do not meet the TOPS requirements.

***Note:. These forms will not be processed until the end of Spring Quarter when grades have been posted which is May 22. The first purge for summer will be May 20th