TOPS and Other State Programs

Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS)

TOPS is a comprehensive program of state scholarships for students from the State of Louisiana. TOPS has three award levels with different selection criteria and retention requirements:

• TOPS Opportunity Award
• TOPS Performance Award includes additional $400 stiped per academic year
• TOPS Honors Award includes additional $800 stipend per academic year

TOPS Scholarships are awarded by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA). TOPS eligibility can be checked on their website HERE.  LSU Shreveport receives notification of a student's award from LOSFA on the TOPS Master Roster. The Master Roster is downloaded and eligible students are given credit for 12 hours of covered tuition and fees. Please note that a TOPS Scholarship does not cover all the tuition and fees students are assessed. For the 2018-2019 academic year a TOPS Opportunity Award is $2,686.14 a semester and 12 hours of tuition and fees is $3,663.28. The student's TOPS Opportunity Award covers all but $977.14 of tuition and fees.

State of Louisiana Go Grant

The State of Louisiana provides a need-based component to the state's financial aid programs to support non-traditional and low to moderate-income students.  Awards range from $300 to $3,000 or 60% of a student's unmet financial need, whichever is less. 

State of Louisiana Eligibility Requirements

• Louisiana resident;
• filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• receiving a Federal Pell Grant;
• having remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contributrion (EFC) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid from the student's Cost of Attendance (COA); and
• be a student enrolled on at least a half-time basis (minimum six hours).

LSUS Eligibility Requirements

• Awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis based on the date of a complete financial aid file.  A complete file contains the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) and the verification process completed if required.  The electronic SAR is the result of the student filing the FAFSA.
• LSUS monitors the awarding to insure that at least 30% of the students awarded are 24 years of age or older.

Maximum Award Amounts

Students are initially awarded a full-time award.  Awards will be adjusted before disbursement and will be based on the student's actual enrollment on the census date for a semester or term.  NOTE:  If a student is awarded less than the maximum award and they are enrolled half-time, their award will be prorated.

                     Enrollment Status                                      Annual               Semester

                     Full-time enrollment (at least 12 hours)       $3,000.00           $1,500.00

                     Half-time enrollment (six to eleven hours)    $1,500.00           $   750.00

Additional Scholarship Information is provided under the frequently asked questions for undergraduate students.  Please take a look there for more opportunities!