Louisiana Grants

Louisiana TOPS Program

TOPS is the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students. It provides Louisiana high school graduates meeting specific eligibility requirements with a scholarship if they choose to attend a Louisiana public college or university. Apply for TOPS using the FAFSA.

2025-2026 TOPS AWARD	TOPS Opportunity	TOPS Performance	TOPS Honors	TOPS Excellence
Fall Tuition Award	$2,486.55	$2,486.55	$2,486.55	$4,979.50
Fall Tuition Stipend	$0.00	$200.00	$400.00	$0.00
Fall Semester Total	$2,486.55	$2,686.55	$2,886.55	$4,979.50

Spring Tuition Award	$2,486.55	$2,486.55	$2,486.55	$4,979.50
Spring Tuition Stipend	$0.00	$200.00	$400.00	$0.00
Spring Semester Total	$2,486.55	$2,686.55	$2,886.55	$4,979.50
TOTAL FOR 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR	$4,973.10	$5,373.10	$5,773.10	$9,959.00

Standard Eligibility

To be considered for TOPS, the student must attend a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) APPROVED HIGH SCHOOL. All Louisiana public schools are approved.

If the student attends a non-public school, BESE must approve the student to be considered for TOPS. Click here to choose the Approval by Brumfield v Dodd document for the year the student graduated/will graduate from high school to determine if your child’s non-public school is approved.

Each year, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) evaluates the records of all Louisiana high school graduates whose parents are also Louisiana residents. Eligibility is determined through high school transcripts and student ACT scores. High school graduates with:

Completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

LOSFA notifies high school graduates of their eligibility during the summer following graduation.

TOPS OPPORTUNITY AWARD

If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.
Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 2.50 (GPA computed on TOPS Core Curriculum courses only)
Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of the prior year state average but never less than a 20 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
Must enroll full-time as a first-time freshman by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
Be a US citizen or permanent resident
Meet TOPS Louisiana residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 2 points above standard –Currently 22
*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state/country high school – ACT/SAT Score of 3 points above standard – Currently 23

TOPS PERFORMANCE AWARD

If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.
Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 3.25 (GPA computed on TOPS core courses only) beginning with the graduating class 2022.
Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of 23 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
Must enroll full-time as a first-time freshman by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
Be a US citizen or permanent resident
Meet TOPS Louisiana Residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 24 (1 point above standard instead of core units and GPA)

*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state high school – ACT/SAT Score 26 (3 points above standard instead of core units and GPA)

TOPS HONORS AWARD

If the student is enrolled in Home Study through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.

Minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of 3.50 (GPA computed on TOPS core courses only) beginning with the graduating class of 2022.
Increases to 3.50 TOPS Core Curriculum GPA beginning with the graduating class of 2022.
Completion of the 19.0 Core Units of the TOPS Core Curriculum
Minimum ACT Score (or SAT Equivalent) of 27 (Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed to be added to your test registrations)
Must enroll full-time as a first-time freshman by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
Be a US citizen or permanent resident
Meet TOPS Louisiana Residency requirements

*BESE-Approved Home Study Eligibility – ACT/SAT Score of 28 (1 point above standard instead of core units and GPA)

*Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state high school – ACT/SAT Score 30(3 points above standard instead of core units and GPA).

TOPS EXCELLENCE AWARD

Attend a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) APPROVED HIGH SCHOOL. All Louisiana public schools are approved.
- If the student attends a non-public school, it must be approved by BESE in order for the student to be considered for TOPS. Click here to choose the Approval by Brumfield v Dodd document for the year the student graduated/will graduate from high school to determine if your child’s non-public school is approved.
- If the student is enrolled in an approved home study program through the Louisiana Department of Education, click here for TOPS home study requirements.
Earn a minimum TOPS Core Curriculum GPA of at least 3.50 (GPA computed on TOPS Core Curriculum courses only)
Complete the 19.0 core units of the TOPS OPHE Core Curriculum

Earn a minimum ACT score of 31. Click here for the LOSFA ACT and SAT codes needed. ¹
- TOPS does not accept an ACT Superscore

Enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the first semester following the first anniversary of high school graduation
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Meet the TOPS Louisiana residency requirements.

* Louisiana Residents graduating from an eligible out-of-state high school – ACT/SAT/CLT Score 34 (3 points above standard in lieu of core units and GPA)

Continued Eligibility

The Financial Aid Office recommends that all students receiving TOPS renew their FAFSA yearly.

Students must be enrolled for full-time hours on the 15th day of class to receive payment for TOPS for that semester. You can be paid if you are less than full-time under exceptional circumstances. You should check with the Scholarship Coordinator before assuming you will be paid for less than full-time enrollment.
Students must earn 24 credit hours each year (Fall//Spring/Summer) and maintain the required GPA for their TOPS Award.
GPA minimum 2.0 cumulative at the end of each fall, intersession or summer semester

The following GPAs will be checked at the end of each Spring semester:

Opportunity Recipient Below 24 hours earned	2.3 GPA
Opportunity Recipients with 24+ hours earned	2.5 GPA
Performance and Honors Recipients	3.0 GPA
Execellence Receipients	3.0 GPA

This scholarship is available through the LOSFA (Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance).

For more information about the TOPS program, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Louisiana "Go Grant" Program

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL COLLEGE

LOUSIANA GO GRANT PACKAGING POLICY

(EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025)

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Louisiana Go Grant, a student MUST:

Be a Louisiana Resident;*
File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
Receive a federal Pell Grant (in the same semester as the Go Grant);
Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (SAI) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from the student's Cost of Attendance (COA);
Be enrolled as a regular student enrolled in an eligible program on at least a half-time basis (minimum 6 hours)
Be meeting SUBR's Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for receipt of Title IV aid or be approved through the Appeals Process

Award Amounts

Award amounts to eligible students are based on the institution's allocation and their packaging policy. The number of students awarded varies each academic year due to limited funding for the Louisiana Go Grant. All eligible students will not receive this grant, students are awarded in priority of the packaging policy listed below. Student Awards will not be paid for summer sessions, quarters or terms.

Maximum and minimum annual award amounts for the 2025-2026 Academic Year:

Maximum Annual Award $3000
Minimum Annual Award $1500

SUBR will award the Max. Annual Award ($3000) to students enrolled in twelve (12) or more hours. Students with less than six (6) hours are not eligible for disbursement. Disbursement amounts to students with less than twelve (12) but greater than five (5) enrolled hours will receive a maximum of $750 per term/$1,500 per year.

Award Calculations

Southern University and A&M College will make a good faith effort to distribute LA Go Grant funding in a manner that reaches students with the most financial need to bring their maximum financial need met with gift aid to 60%.

Example:

COA = $17,500

SAI = $1,500

Need= $16,000

Examples of gift aid include Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, TOPS, TOPS stipends and institutional scholarships.

PACKAGING POLICY

Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College will package LA Go Grant awards in accordance with the following provisions:.

Priority will be given to students who are 25 years or older;
Eligibility for and awards to transfer and re-entering students will be made on the same basis as continuing students;
SUBR will award LA Go Grant funding in a manner that allows the institution the opportunity to reach and assist the largest population of its "Needy" students.

Awards will be made until all allocated funds have been exhausted.

Renewal Requirements

Must file a FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA at least annually
Continue receiving a Federal Pell Grant
Have remaining financial need after deducting Estimated Family Contribution (SAI) and all federal/state/institutional grant or scholarship aid ("gift aid") from the student's Cost of Attendance (COA);
The award can be renewed for subsequent years to a maximum Lifetime award that correlates to the Federal Pell Grant.

Residency: Louisiana resident as of the day the FAFSA is filed, and Louisiana is the student's actual and fixed domicile as reported on the FAFSA. If the student's state of residence on the FAFSA is not reported as LA, but a dependent student claims that a non-custodial parent is a Louisiana resident or whose parents are Louisiana residents living out of state, LOSFA will determine residency based on the completion, by the parents, of a residency affidavit.

For additional information on the LA Go Grant and other State Aid Programs, please visit https://mylosfa.la.gov/students-parents/scholarships-grants/go-grant/.

Louisiana National Guard Program

Up to full Louisiana tuition/fees.
Open to Louisiana residents after one full year of service in the
Louisiana National Guard as an enlisted person or company-grade officer up to the rank of captain.

Apply through your local Louisiana National Guard Recruiting Officer.

Louisiana Geaux Teach Program Program

What is the Louisiana Geaux Teach Program?

The Geaux Teach scholarship program was established to provide scholarships to students who are enrolled in teacher preparation programs or alternate certification programs approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) at postsecondary education institutions within the state.

What are the eligibility requirements?

The student must be a United States citizen and if required, registered with the Selective Service.
Be a Louisiana resident for at least two years prior to July 1 immediately preceding the academic year of enrollment.
Have at least a 2.50 cumulative college grade point average.
Be enrolled full time in an approved teacher preparation program or alternate certification program.

Each institution will determine its own selection criteria for scholarship recipients.

What costs are covered?

The maximum annual award is $5,000. Scholarship awards shall be applicable only to the cost of tuition, required fees, and textbooks and instructional materials required for the course of study. The award shall be applied before all other state or institutional financial aid and awards are applied and only for any remaining balance due for tuition, required fees, and textbooks and instructional materials required for the course of study.

How do I apply?

Students currently enrolled in a teacher preparation program or alternate certification program approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) can apply by contacting their college or university school of education or program provider and submitting the required Geaux Teach Application Form. The College of Education at SUBR determines students that are eligible for the Geaux Teach Grant and award amount.