Updated October 2026 by Carson Flowers, from Louisiana's official program pages.
The short answer: TOPS has four levels. A 20 ACT with a 2.50 core GPA earns TOPS Opportunity, 23 ACT and 3.25 earns Performance, and 27 ACT and 3.50 earns Honors. The newest level, TOPS Excellence, takes a 31 ACT and a 3.50 core GPA and pays tuition and fees or $12,000 a year, whichever is less, at public schools.
The score and GPA for each tier
| Tier | SAT | ACT | GPA | What it pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOPS Opportunity | 1030 | 20 | 2.50 TOPS core GPA | A tuition-based award, no stipend. The amount depends on the school |
| TOPS Performance | 1130 | 23 | 3.25 TOPS core GPA | The tuition-based award plus a stipend |
| TOPS Honors | 1260 | 27 | 3.50 TOPS core GPA | The tuition-based award plus a larger stipend |
| TOPS Excellence | Not published | 31 | 3.50 TOPS core GPA | Tuition and fees or $12,000 a year, whichever is less, at public schools. Tuition and fees or $8,500 a year at LAICU private schools |
Beyond the score:
- TOPS Opportunity: Complete the TOPS core curriculum at a BESE-approved high school and enroll full-time as a first-time freshman.
- TOPS Performance: Same core curriculum, school and enrollment rules as Opportunity.
- TOPS Honors: Same core curriculum, school and enrollment rules as Opportunity.
- TOPS Excellence: Also requires 19.0 units of the TOPS core curriculum. Added by Act 347 of 2025.
How the test score counts
LOSFA does not accept the ACT superscore for any TOPS level, including Excellence. Your teen's best single ACT composite is what counts. Send scores to LOSFA using its own ACT and SAT codes.
How the GPA is calculated
TOPS uses the TOPS core curriculum GPA, figured only from the core courses LOSFA designates. It can differ from your teen's full transcript GPA. Excellence also requires 19.0 core units.
Which class year these rules cover
TOPS Excellence applies to students graduating in 2024 to 2025 and later, so it covers the classes of 2027 and 2028.
Deadlines
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Apply for TOPS | File the FAFSA or the TOPS Online application by the deadline LOSFA posts on its Applying for TOPS page |
| Enroll full-time as a first-time freshman | By the first semester after the first anniversary of high school graduation |
Testing has its own clock: see every 2026-27 date in Louisiana SAT test dates.
Keeping it in college
Your teen needs at least 24 credit hours each TOPS academic year and steady academic progress, which is a 2.00 cumulative GPA at non-checkpoint terms. Excellence needs a 3.00 cumulative GPA at the end of each year. A drop to 2.30 to 2.99 with 24 to 47 hours, or 2.50 to 2.99 with 48 or more hours, moves the student down to the Opportunity amount instead of ending the award. Falling below those lines suspends it, and it can come back if the GPA recovers within 24 months.
Where it pays
Eligible Louisiana public colleges and universities, plus LAICU private colleges in Louisiana at a lower fixed cap. Louisiana National Guard members on Excellence get a tuition exemption plus a $600 a year book stipend and a $2,000 a year educational stipend.
The misconception: TOPS Honors is the top of the ladder
Many families still think of a 27 ACT and TOPS Honors as the ceiling. Since 2025 there is a higher level, TOPS Excellence, at a 31 ACT and a 3.50 core GPA. A student who can reach it should plan for it on purpose.
Free tool
Which of these numbers is your teen's target? Pick the Louisiana colleges on their list and get a target score and the gap from today's score in under a minute.
Find my teen's target scoreQuick answers
What ACT score does my teen need for TOPS?
A 20 ACT for Opportunity, 23 for Performance, 27 for Honors, and 31 for Excellence. Each level also needs a matching TOPS core GPA.
Does TOPS accept the ACT superscore?
No. LOSFA does not accept the ACT superscore for any TOPS level, including Excellence.
Is the TOPS GPA the same as my teen's overall GPA?
No. TOPS uses a core curriculum GPA built only from the core courses LOSFA designates, and it can differ from the full transcript GPA.
Is TOPS Excellence open to the class of 2027 and 2028?
Yes. It applies to students graduating in 2024 to 2025 and after, with a 31 ACT, a 3.50 core GPA and 19.0 core units.
What happens if my teen's college GPA slips on TOPS Excellence?
A moderate drop moves your teen down to the Opportunity amount rather than ending the award. That applies at 2.30 to 2.99 with 24 to 47 hours, or 2.50 to 2.99 with 48 or more hours.
Does TOPS pay the same at every Louisiana college?
No. The amount is tied to each public school's tuition and fees, so the same scores can be worth different dollars at different schools. Excellence caps at $12,000 a year at public schools.
Sources
- LOSFA: The TOPS Opportunity Award
- LOSFA: The TOPS Performance Award
- LOSFA: The TOPS Excellence Award
- LOSFA: TOPS award calculations 2025 to 2026 (PDF)
- LOSFA: Applying for TOPS
- LOSFA: Codes for ACT and SAT tests
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Louisiana TOPS Program
Rules change by class year. Confirm with the program's own pages before you plan around any summary, ours included.
Turn the cutoff into a plan
Knowing the number is the easy part. In a free Strategy Session we put your teen's current score next to the TOPS line and the ranges at their Louisiana colleges, then build the six to twelve week plan to close the gap. More for Louisiana families: Louisiana SAT prep and SAT Scores for Louisiana Colleges.