TOPS Excellence Award

Louisiana's top TOPS level: full tuition and fees up to $12,000 a year at a public college (up to $8,500 at a LAICU private college) for a 3.50 core GPA and a 31 ACT.

How much

Tuition and fees or $12,000 per year, whichever is less (public); tuition and fees or $8,500, whichever is less (LAICU private)

Who qualifies

• 3.50 TOPS core-curriculum GPA; 19 units of the TOPS OPHE core; ACT 31 (CLT accepted per LOSFA bulletin T2025-2); out-of-state graduates need ACT/SAT/CLT 34 in lieu of core and GPA. High school graduates of 2024-25 and later. Louisiana resident (TOPS residency rules), U.S. citizen or permanent resident; graduate from a BESE-approved Louisiana high school (or approved home study; out-of-state graduates qualify through higher test scores). Enroll full-time as a first-time freshman by the first semester after the first anniversary of high school graduation. ACT superscores are not accepted.
• For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident

When to apply

Open now Full award: application (FAFSA or TOPS Online Application) must be received by July 1 (next business day if a weekend) after the one-year anniversary of your high school graduation - e.g. Class of 2027 by July 1, 2028. LOSFA's recommended FAFSA priority date is February 1 of your senior year. Later applications (through roughly the following fall) can still qualify for fewer semesters of funding.

How to apply

1. Apply by filing the FAFSA (recommended
2. It also applies you for Pell, GO Grant and other aid) or, if you can show you don't qualify for federal grant aid, the TOPS Online Application on LOSFA's site (not both)
3. Make sure your name, date of birth and address match your high school records and ACT/SAT/CLT exactly
4. LOSFA begins eligibility processing in June and emails you
5. Track status in your LOSFA Student Hub account
6. Continuing students don't reapply - they just have to meet the renewal requirements

What you'll need

FAFSA + transcript + test scores

Last checked

October 5, 2026, against the official page (mylosfa.la.gov), page 2, page 3 and page 4