POSTED 07/20/16
Latest Update Concerning 2016-2017 TOPS Awards for Incoming and Continuing Tulane Students
The State of Louisiana has provided Tulane with details concerning the estimated TOPS payment
amounts for the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year.
If the 2016-17 TOPS program were 100% funded (which it is not), annual awards for eligible Tulane
students would be:
TOPS Tuition Award
$5,567 ($2,783.50 per semester)
with 100% funding
TOPS Honors Stipend
$800 ($400 per semester)
with 100% funding
TOPS Performance Stipend
$400 ($200 per semester)
with 100% funding
Instead, based on the State’s release of information (http://www.osfa.state.la.us/), 2016-2017 TOPS
annual awards are expected to be 70.345% of the full amounts, and the Louisiana Legislature has
mandated that “front-loading” be implemented, resulting in disbursements as follows:
2016 Fall
2017 Spring* 2016-17 Total*
TOPS Tuition Award
$2,590.32
$1,325.78
$3,916.10
TOPS Honors Stipend
$ 372.34
$ 190.52
$ 562.86
TOPS Performance Stipend
$ 186.12
$ 95.26
$ 281.38
TOPS eligible students and their families need to plan accordingly for this UNEVEN distribution of TOPS
funds between the fall and spring semesters. While generally all other types of financial aid will be
disbursed in equal amounts (half for the 2016 fall semester and the remaining half for the 2017 spring
semester), the State of Louisiana’s TOPS program will follow an inequitable distribution schedule,
resulting in a significantly smaller portion of the TOPS award being available for the 2017 spring
semester.
*Please note that the 2017 spring semester amounts are ESTIMATED AND WILL BE REVISED, subject to
appropriation and funding received by the State.
TOPS ELIGIBLE STUDENTS MAY OPT OUT
The State of Louisiana will allow TOPS eligible students to “opt out” of TOPS on a semester-by-semester
basis for the 2016-17 award year. For more information, we encourage students to visit the State’s
website: http://www.osfa.la.gov/ and click on the “TOPS OPT OUT Questions and Answers” link. If you
wish to opt out for both semesters (fall and spring) of 2016-2017, please realize that you MUST OPT OUT
EACH SEMESTER by the specified deadline (by the 14th day of from the start of each semester).