Louisiana Scholarship and Grant Programs

Students are often overloaded with college applications, financial aid information and thoughts of leaving high school and home behind, allowing little time for researching the scholarships and grants they may be eligible for.

High school and college students in the state of Louisiana who are in need of financial assistance to either begin or continue their college education have quite a large selection of scholarships and grant programs to choose from.

Louisiana State Grants

The Go Grant, which is a grant for Louisiana residents, has an award range of $500 to $2,000.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a full time resident of Louisiana
• Have been awarded a Federal Pell grant or financial need grant
• Have an Education Cost Gap greater than $0
• Be enrolled full time or part time in an eligible Louisiana Institution

Specific first time enrollment requirements apply. Please contact the program administrators for details.

Students must submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply.

Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership (LEAP), which is a grant for full time students attending Louisiana Post Secondary Schools, has an award range of $200 to $2,000.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time resident of Louisiana for at least one year prior to the application deadline
• Have a high school diploma with a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.00; or a minimum average score of 45 on the GED Test; or an ACT score of at least 20; or from the most recent term of a postsecondary school, a GPA of at least 2.00
• Be a full time undergraduate student within an eligible program at an institution of higher education that also meets eligibility requirements
• Have a financial need of at least $199 or higher
• If receiving other federal and/or state aid, the student must be in compliance with the terms administered by LASFAC
• Not be in default of any educational loan
• Not have a criminal conviction, save for misdemeanor traffic violations
• Agree that the award money will be used for educational purposes only

Students must submit a FAFSA to apply.

TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) has four different award components: Opportunity, Performance, Honors and Tech Awards.

TOPS Opportunity Award pays for tuition and fees at all Louisiana public colleges and universities.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have a minimum High School GPA of 2.50 (core courses only)
• Have 17.5 Core Units
• Have a minimum ACT Score (or the SAT equivalent) of the prior year state average (for the Opportunity award), with Performance and Honors being 23 and 27, respectively.
• Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the semester immediately following the first anniversary of their high school graduation or from when they obtained their GED
• Be a US citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time Louisiana resident

TOPS Performance Award also pays for tuition and fees plus an annual stipend of $400. Students attending a college within the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, will be receiving the weighted average tuition of public-degree granting schools plus the annual stipend of $400.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have a minimum High School GPA of 3.00 (core courses only)
• Have 17.5 Core Units
• Have a minimum ACT Score (or the SAT equivalent) of the state average
• Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the semester immediately following the first anniversary of their high school graduation or from when they obtained their GED
• Be a US citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time Louisiana resident

TOPS Honors Award pays for the same expenses as the previous programs, as well as an annual stipend of $800. If a student attends a college within the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the same rules regarding the weighted award average applies.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have a minimum High School GPA of 3.00 (core courses only)
• Have 17.5 Core Units
• Have a minimum ACT Score (or the SAT equivalent) of the state average
• Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the semester immediately following the first anniversary of their high school graduation or from when they obtained their GED
• Be a US citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time Louisiana resident

TOPS Tech Award provides tuition for skill or occupational training at all schools within the Louisiana Community and technical College System, Louisiana approved Proprietary and Cosmetology Schools or Louisiana Public Colleges and Universities that do not currently offer a baccalaureate degree of any kind.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have a minimum High School GPA of 2.50 (core courses only)
• Have 17 or 19 Tech Core Units, depending on the option being applied for
• Have a minimum ACT Score (or the SAT equivalent) of the state average
• Must enroll full time as a first time freshman, by the semester immediately following the first anniversary of their high school graduation or from when they obtained their GED
• Be a US citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time Louisiana resident

All of the TOPS grant programs require the same application process:

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid no later than July 1st for both new and renewal students. New students receiving funding for the fall semester immediately after graduation, must adhere to the July 1 deadline. New students filing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid after the July 1 deadline during the year of graduation, by July 1 the following year, funding is delayed one year to the following fall semester. However, students may file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid from July 2 through October 29, the year after graduation, with a penalty. Renewal students must always submit their application no later than July 1 each year.

For all of the TOPS grant programs, students who meet and can provide proof of their ineligibility to receive Federal Grants may disregard the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and complete their application online.

Louisiana State Scholarships

Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship is for high school graduates, college undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in forestry, wildlife or marine science majors. While the cumulative award for up to give years or undergrad, and two years of grad study is $1,000 per year (or $7,000 total), recipients may receive $500 for each fall and spring term, provided that students maintain their eligibility and program funds are available.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Be a full time Louisiana resident
• Be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in forestry, wildlife or marine science majors
• Have a minimum high school GPA of 2.
• Have a minimum ACT Score (or the SAT equivalent) of the state average
• Have completed a sufficient level of home study as approved by BESE
• Have earned 24 or more college credit hours and a minimum college GPA of 2.50 as an undergraduate student; or,
• As a graduate student, have a minimum college GPA of 3.00

To apply, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid prior to the annual deadline of July 1. All new applicants for the scholarship must apply for federal grant aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid received no later than July 1 immediately following the college academic year for which the scholarship is being applied for.

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program, which is federally funded and state administered, promotes student excellence and achievement while recognizing students who show promise of continued excellence. Students receive scholarships for college expenses.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have graduated from a secondary school or obtained their GED
• Be a full time resident of Louisiana
• Be a U.S. citizen, national or eligible non-citizen
• Have sent in an application or received acceptance to an institution of higher education
• Certify that he or she is eligible to receive assistance

Students who are attending a military academy are not eligible to receive a Byrd scholarship.

Students must request an application package from and apply directly to the state education agency, located in their state of legal residence. Application deadlines the individual state educational agencies.

For more information regarding the scholarship or grant programs, contact the Louisiana State Department of Education at 225-342-2098.