LAC 28:IV.801. General Provisions

A. Legislative Authority. The TOPS-Tech Award was created by Act of the 1998 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature. B. Description, History and Purpose 1. For students graduating through the 2015-2016 academic year (high school), the TOPS-Tech Award is a merit-based scholarship program for Louisiana residents pursuing skill, occupational or technical training at eligible colleges and universities that offer a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma program or a non-academic undergraduate degree. The purpose of TOPS-Tech is to provide an incentive for qualified Louisiana residents to prepare for and pursue technical positions in Louisiana. 2. Beginning with students graduating in the 2016-2017 academic year (high school), the TOPS-Tech Award is a workforce scholarship program for Louisiana residents who enroll in an eligible college or university on a full-time basis in an associate's degree or other shorter-term training and education program that is aligned to state workforce priorities as determined by the Louisiana Board of Regents (the board) and the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council. 3. Beginning with students graduating in the 2024-2025 academic year (high school), the TOPS-Tech Award is a workforce scholarship program for Louisiana residents who enroll in an eligible college or university on a full-time basis in an associate's degree or other shorter-term training and education program that is determined eligible by the M.J. Foster Promise Program Advisory Council. C. TOPS-Tech shall be first awarded beginning with the 1998-99 academic year to 1998 high school graduates and graduates in subsequent years. D. TOPS-Tech provides an award as follows: 1. For any student enrolled in a TOPS Tech eligible program of study at an eligible public college or university that does not offer an academic undergraduate degree at the baccalaureate level or higher, the amount shall equal the actual cost of tuition or the maximum published award amount, whichever is less. 2. For any student enrolled in a TOPS Tech eligible program of study at an eligible college or university other than as provided for in Paragraph D.1 above, the amount shall be the average award amount (TOPS-Tech) as defined in §301. 3. Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year (TOPS), in lieu of the amount equal to tuition as provided by LAC 28:IV.701.E.1-3, students with the TOPS-Tech Award participating in the program provided by R.S. 29:36.1 for persons serving in the Louisiana National Guard shall receive the tuition exemption as provided therein, plus a sum of $300 per semester or $600 per academic year (TOPS) to be applied toward the cost of books and other instructional materials.