A recent proclamation signed by Governor John Bel Edwards is suspending some TOPS requirements for students affected by Hurricane Laura.
According to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, Proclamation Number 124 signed by Governor Edwards on September 18 will suspend the September 30th deadline for students in affected parishes to achieve a qualifying score on their ACT or SAT for TOPS.
Affected parishes include the following: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lasalle, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, St. Landry, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, and Winn.
The deadline is suspended whether the student lives in a parish affected by Hurricane Laura or their test site was closed due to actions taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, LOFSA says.
Those students are encouraged to register to take an ACT that occurs on or before December 31, 2020. LOSFA says they will re-evaluate a student's TOPS eligibility if a new ACT score is received.
The proclamation also suspends the following:
- For current high school students who live in a parish severely impacted by Hurricane Laura and have enrolled at a school in another state, the proclamation suspends the requirement that a student must live in Louisiana and complete their last four semesters of high school in the state.
- For students who are now being homeschooled, the Governor's proclamation suspends the requirement that a student must begin a home study program no later than the end of their 10th-grade year.
- The proclamation also suspends the requirement that a student must complete the TOPS core curriculum and have a higher ACT score, should they have to stay in another state to complete their high school education.
LOFSA says that current college students who live in or attend school in a parish for which FEMA declared a disaster, will receive an automatic exception to the TOPS 24-hour requirement so their award will not be canceled. The requirements to meet steady academic progress and minimum GPA are also suspended for these students, they say.
To read more about how the proclamation will affect high school and current college students, click here.
To view the governor's proclamation, click here.
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