LAC 28:IV.2205. Initial Eligibility

A. To be eligible for an M.J. Foster Promise Award, a student must: 1.a. for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 award years, be at least 21 years of age as of the date of application; b. for the 2024-2025 award year, be at least 20 years of age as of the date of application; c. for the 2025-2026 award year, be at least 19 years of age as of the date of application; d. for the 2026-2027 award year, be at least 18 years of age as of the date of application; and e. for the 2027-2028 award year and thereafter, be at least 17 years of age as of the date of application. 2. have earned a high school diploma or equivalent or co-enroll in a qualified program of study and in a program to earn a high school credential that is recognized by the state of Louisiana; 3. be a U.S. Citizen; 4. be a Louisiana Resident as defined in §2203; 5. have not previously earned an undergraduate degree at the associate level or above; 6. if served in the U.S. Armed Forces and been separated from service, have received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions; 7. meet the admission requirements of the institution he plans to attend; and 8. enroll and remain enrolled in an eligible program of study through the fourteenth class day at semester schools, or, for any qualifying summer sessions, students attending proprietary schools, and students enrolled in a program that is not provided on a traditional semester/term basis, through the end of the last day to drop and receive a full refund for the course of study in which enrolled. 9. agree to reside and work full time in Louisiana for a minimum of one year after the completion of the last program of study for which funding is received. 10.a. for the 2022-2023 academic year, the student must have completed a free application for federal student aid in order to be determined eligible to receive an award; b. beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year, a student may receive one award payment prior to filing the free application for federal student aid. B. In addition to the above, the applicant must certify that: 1. he is not currently imprisoned; and 2. he has not been convicted of a violent crime as defined in R.S. 14:2(B); and 3.a. he has a family income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services; or b. certify that he is currently unemployed or has been underemployed for a period of at least six months prior to the date he would receive an award. C. All applicants will be required to agree that the Board of Regents and the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance may verify the applicant’s criminal history, employment records, and income information. Submission of an application for an award under this Chapter constitutes express permission for the Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Department of Revenue, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Workforce Commission to release personally identifiable information to LOSFA for the purposes of verification and program reporting. An individual’s personally identifiable information will be maintained in a secure environment and will not be released except as necessary to administer this program and for audit purposes.