- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
1
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:09 am to josh336
It needs to be stated that this program has absolutely NOTHING to do with athletics. It was started so that any HS student in the state who meets certain academic requirements(taking certain classes, GPA, test scores) can get help with tuition to any instate school. Basically a way to help keep instate kids instate and to give those who wouldnt have had a chance to go to college a way to help pay for it.
Athletics does take advantage of it but no more so than other states that have similar programs(Ga, Fla, etc).
They are changing the rules with TOPS. From what I understand, if you don't make the grades in the first 2 years of college and lose your TOPS you will be required to payback the state for the money you used.
Athletics does take advantage of it but no more so than other states that have similar programs(Ga, Fla, etc).
They are changing the rules with TOPS. From what I understand, if you don't make the grades in the first 2 years of college and lose your TOPS you will be required to payback the state for the money you used.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:16 am to LSUGoose
quote:
There are a lot of misconceptions with TOPS. It's a "tuition assistance" payment, and does not cover a mulititude of fees, food, boarding, books, etc.
You are exactly correct. TOPS will cover 100% of tuition. I don't think people realize how many other fees are associated with attending school at a place like LSU.
For example here is a break down of 2010 undergraduate fees based on 15-hr enrollment (this is what most students enroll for)and are for a single semester:
Tuition: $1,740
Misc. Required Fees: $482.70
Academic Excellence Fee: $245
Technology Fee: $75
Operational Fee: $80
On-Campus Housing (cheapest option): $2,305
Other Housing Fee: $150
Meal Plan (min. required for each of first two semesters if living on campus): $1,660
There are plenty of other fees for things like parking and text books (approx. $700 per semester back in 1998). The only thing TOPS covers is TUITION. If it wasn't for TOPS I don't know how I could have made it through school. Wait I remember! I will be paying student loans for the rest of my career.
TOPS is great. Definitely better than nothing. I don't see how people could go to college without it. But it surely doesn't pay for everything.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:20 am to OWLFAN86
quote:
A LOT of athletes get this aid,
Not just athletes. Any student can qualify.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:30 am to LSUGoose
All this scholarship talk as an advantage is a bunch of BS. Stanford costs $50,000 a year and they get all the non football talent they want. And Harbaugh is doing a good job there with the football team. It all comes down to recruiting. LSU gets elite talent because Les Miles and his staff are great recruiters, not because of TOPS.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:36 am to Michigan Man1817
quote:
TOPS will cover 100% of tuition
not really. depends on your act score if you get the extra money. And the legislature approved yesterday an additional $250 something increase in tuition.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 8:36 am to Michigan Man1817
the only way TOPS benefits football is with greyshirts, i believe. they're not on the team and don't count to the limit i don't think
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:12 am to SlowFlowPro
TOPS does not cover all of your tuition at lsu. It covers the majority but not all. It covers all the tuition at most of the other state schools bc they are cheaper
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:16 am to OWLFAN86
It is simple. Get good grades in high school and have a certain score on the ACT and you get tops for 8 semesters in college. There are limitations on how many people can have it and it does not change anything in sports. You can only get it if you have the grades, although it is a big incentive for players to stay in La.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:22 am to Elleshoe
quote:Yea, TOPPS does not really help in football since you get to give out 85 scollys and can only have 85 on your roster. In baseball, however, you can have 35 on your roster and only have 12 scollys to spread around. Obviously if half of the team is from in-state and has the grades to get a TOPPS scolly that leaves much more money to go around for the out of state guys.
anyone who plays football counts against the 85 limit whether they are on tops or not.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:25 am to More beer please
FWIW Florida has a very similar program here called Bright Futures and would do you know it is funded by the lottery and going broke due to the fact that something like 85% of the total College student population in Florida receives some level of support from Bright Futures.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:25 am to chackbay
quote:
not really. depends on your act score if you get the extra money. And the legislature approved yesterday an additional $250 something increase in tuition.
No, sorry guys but you are wrong. TOPS does cover all of the tuition, but not all of the fees. Its symantics I know. But it does cover 100% of tuition. The student is on the hook for everything else that is not specically listed as tuition. See my breakdown of non-tuition fees above.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 9:32 am to Chicot
quote:
TOPS does cover all of the tuition, but not all of the fees
It does if you get the top end of the scholarship. I know some kids from my school actually got paid to go to college because of the money left over from TOPS
Posted on 6/17/10 at 10:00 am to More beer please
quote:
It does if you get the top end of the scholarship. I know some kids from my school actually got paid to go to college because of the money left over from TOPS
Right, that is the stipend part. The top tier of TOPS includes a cash stipend above and beyond covering tuition. Even if you don't get the top tier, you still get all of the tuition covered; you just wouldn't get the cash stipend.
LSU's tuition for the upcoming semester is $1,740 based on 15-hr enrollment. TOPS will pay up to $1,834 per semester at LSU.
TOPS Tuition List
This post was edited on 6/17/10 at 3:18 pm
Posted on 6/17/10 at 10:03 am to Chicot
quote:
Even if you don't get the top tier, you still get all of the tuition covered;
Thats me
Posted on 6/17/10 at 10:25 am to More beer please
quote:
LSU's tuition for the upcoming semester is $1,740 based on 15-hr enrollment. TOPS will pay up to $1,834 per semester at LSU.
you are correct, But you can't go to LSU without all the additional fees. Where as someone who goes to Nicholls State has money left over because tuition is much less.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 10:27 am to Chicot
I sure wish some of you were running tops. My son has top tier of Tops and it's only paying $1,100 of the $1,503 Fall quarter at Tech.
As far as football players they can walk on with Tops but if they play one play they are counted against the 85 limit.
As far as football players they can walk on with Tops but if they play one play they are counted against the 85 limit.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 10:57 am to OWLFAN86
The County scholarships were a joke because there were lierally no standards. Each county just got to give a scholarship; surprise surprise they all happened to give them to football players.
TOPS at least has objective minimum standards. Several other states have similar programs; Georgia for instance
TOPS at least has objective minimum standards. Several other states have similar programs; Georgia for instance
Posted on 6/17/10 at 11:05 am to Dummy
quote:
you are correct, But you can't go to LSU without all the additional fees. Where as someone who goes to Nicholls State has money left over because tuition is much less.
You are completely correct about the additional fees and I agree with the point that you make about that. I was just trying to point out that so many people group all the costs together as "tuition" when that really isn't the case. By the way, when the tuition is less, the TOPS payout is less. So you still don't get to "cah in" any extra money.
quote:
I sure wish some of you were running tops. My son has top tier of Tops and it's only paying $1,100 of the $1,503 Fall quarter at Tech.
Again, because the other $403 is "other fees" not tuition. Just clarifying that TOPS still pays 100% of tuition.
Posted on 6/17/10 at 11:19 am to Chicot
For example here is a break down of 2010 undergraduate fees based on 15-hr enrollment (this is what most students enroll for)and are for a single semester:
Tuition: $1,740
Misc. Required Fees: $482.70
Academic Excellence Fee: $245
Technology Fee: $75
Operational Fee: $80
On-Campus Housing (cheapest option): $2,305
Other Housing Fee: $150
Meal Plan (min. required for each of first two semesters if living on campus): $1,660
There are plenty of other fees for things like parking and text books (approx. $700 per semester back in 1998). The only thing TOPS covers is TUITION. If it wasn't for TOPS I don't know how I could have made it through school. Wait I remember! I will be paying student loans for the rest of my career.
--------------------------------
F me! I better start saving more money and hope TOPS is still around by the time mine make there. How easy you forget about all those other fees once your gone for a while.
Tuition: $1,740
Misc. Required Fees: $482.70
Academic Excellence Fee: $245
Technology Fee: $75
Operational Fee: $80
On-Campus Housing (cheapest option): $2,305
Other Housing Fee: $150
Meal Plan (min. required for each of first two semesters if living on campus): $1,660
There are plenty of other fees for things like parking and text books (approx. $700 per semester back in 1998). The only thing TOPS covers is TUITION. If it wasn't for TOPS I don't know how I could have made it through school. Wait I remember! I will be paying student loans for the rest of my career.
--------------------------------
F me! I better start saving more money and hope TOPS is still around by the time mine make there. How easy you forget about all those other fees once your gone for a while.
Page 2 of 4
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News