If you are a student planning to attend college in the state of Louisiana, you may be able to get a lot of money from the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. This is a special program that offers scholarships for academics and low-income families alike. You have to attend school in LA to qualify, but that is the only universal request. You should be able to find a scholarship program that fits the other circumstances in your education. Here is an overview of this program so you can learn how to get involved.
TOPS Scholarship Requirements by Award
There are several scholarships for high school seniors and college students within the TOPS program, so you just have to figure out which one is right for you. As long as you have decent grades, you should be able to fit into one of the following categories:
- TOPS Honors Award:
- Eligible applicants: Graduating high school seniors
- Minimum GPA: 3.0
- Minimum ACT score: 27
- Minimum SAT score: 1220
- TOPS Opportunity Award:
- Eligible applicants: College freshmen
- Minimum GPA: 2.5
- Minimum ACT score: 20
- Minimum SAT score: 950
- TOPS Performance Award:
- Eligible applicants: Graduating high school seniors
- Minimum GPA: 3.0
- Minimum ACT score: 23
- Minimum SAT score: 1070
- TOPS Tech Award:
- Eligible applicants: Technical college students
- Minimum GPA: 2.5
- Minimum ACT score: 17
- Minimum SAT score: 830
Consider each of these awards carefully and determine which one is right for you. If you find one that fits your life, grades, and test scores, you should find a way to apply for it.
Award Amounts for TOPS Scholarships
Award amounts vary in this program by school. The program is designed to cover the cost of tuition, so higher priced schools will come with higher awards. You have to keep that in mind when you start looking at colleges because this scholarship may allow you to pay for a better education at a school outside of your home town. Here is a chart showing how your award amounts may vary by school:
- Baton Rouge Community College: $2,112
- Bossier Parish Community College: $2,112
- Delgado Community College: $2,112
- Grambling State University: $3,510
- L. E. Fletcher Technical Community College: $2,112
- LAICU Institutions: $3,242
- Louisiana Delta Community College: $2,112
- Louisiana State University at Alexandria: $3,468
- Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge: $4,552
- Louisiana State University at Eunice: $2,018
- Louisiana State University at Shreveport: $3,502
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans: $4,702
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport: $4,846
- Louisiana Tech University (Quarters): $3,885
- Louisiana Technical College Campuses: $984
- McNeese State University: $3,392
- Nicholls State University: $3,450
- Northshore Technical Community College: $1,422
- Northwestern State University: $3,446
- Nunez Community College: $2,112
- Our Lady of the Lake College: $846
- Proprietary and Cosmetology Schools: $951
- River Parishes Community College: $2,112
- South Louisiana Community College: $2,112
- Southeastern Louisiana University: $3,464
- Southern University at Baton Rouge: $3,510
- Southern University at New Orleans: $2,944
- Southern University at Shreveport: $2,024
- SOWELA Technical Community College: $2,112
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette: $3,440
- University of Louisiana at Monroe: $3,478
- University of New Orleans: $4,102
Explore TOPS scholarships a little further and get your apps in as soon as you can. If you decide to attend school in a different state, you can simply decline the award and look for other scholarships to help you out. Hopefully you can find something that works for you no matter what.