From the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance
A Program of the Board of Regents
APRIL 2022
LOSFA Mentions
Career coach shares ways to keep college tuition costs down with scholarships
St. Amant high school career coach Kim Aucoin spoke with WAFB about the urgency of getting students, especially seniors, to apply for scholarships to help them prepare for college.

“I want kids to remember that private scholarships and the national, local scholarships are great. They need to get on it, research them, and apply, but don’t forget about that state scholarship like TOPS," said Aucoin. “Make sure you’re on track for TOPS. That’s a big scholarship that can cover the cost of tuition.”

Aucoin also stated to start doing your research. Look at the cost of colleges and find ways to close the gap using FAFSA as well.

Every month, LOSFA posts various scholarships that students can apply for; you can find them here.
Social Media
College Access News
Louisiana public colleges will eliminate remedial courses
The Louisiana Board of Regents approved a new policy that effectively ends the use of remedial coursework at all of the state’s public universities and colleges. The move follows a larger trend of institutions across the nation opting to abandon remedial—or developmental education—in favor of an alternative called
corequisite education.

The new approach is designed to increase the number of students who can access and successfully complete gateway courses, increase retention and graduation rates of college students and remove access and outcome barriers for Louisiana students.

“For Louisiana to reach its attainment goal of 60% of working adults with a degree or credential by 2030, we have to focus our efforts on both traditional students coming to college right out of high school as well as transfer students, near-completers, adult learners and veterans,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Kim
Hunter Reed. 

Under this new formal, instead of taking noncredit courses with short class sessions, students will attend longer sessions that move through the semester from makeup material to college-level work. They’ll also get additional academic support, and if they pass, they will get college credit. 
Congress increases Pell Grant financial aid for college students
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed a spending bill that included a $400 increase in the maximum Pell Grant. This boosts the maximum aid per student for the 2022-2023 academic year from $6,495 to $6,895, a 6.2% increase, with the minimum award increasing from $650 to $690.

Pell Grants are federal financial aid grants given to low-and middle-income students. The Department of Education (ED) awards these grants using expected family contributions calculated through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Louisiana Department of Education awards $40M grant
Schools in Louisiana will receive a helping hand after the Louisiana Department of Education announced they're awarding $40 million in grant funds from the Reimagine School Systems program. In addition to the funds, schools will receive technical assistance and support.

“When we launched the Reimagine School Systems program in 2021, we did so to encourage school systems to create new high-quality educational opportunities, to be innovative, to challenge themselves and their students,” said Dr. Cade Brumley, State Superintendent of Education.

The program is designed to improve student access to high-quality schools. Approved schools receive a share of the $10,8000,000 available for planning and $28,170,000 for implementing new educational opportunities. So far, 36 applications from 31 school systems in Louisiana have been approved.
The rise of mental health scholarships
Scholarships for students struggling with anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders have proliferated in recent years, often being funded by donors who lost loved ones to mental illness.

Other scholarships, including Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have also seen an increase of availability. Students with mental illness or their families may incur hefty costs for things like therapy, doctor’s appointments, lab tests, and medication. Some students with mental illness might not be able to work a job during college, which would provide them with extra cash, which is why these types of scholarships are important.

The influx of scholarships associated with mental health helps reduce the stigma, which in turn encourages more people to donate—and seek—financial aid for that purpose. Most mental health scholarships come from families that were affected by mental illness.
Four ways to redesign career services for students of color
As companies begin to make efforts to help diversify their workforce, higher education, now, has a large role to play. Over the last decade, college and universities have tackled the challenges around making sure students of color are completing school; now, they must turn their attention to answering another question: completion to what end?

Here are four ways colleges and universities can begin to ensure college is worth the investment for students of color:

  • Expose students to careers early and often
  • Expand mentoring opportunities
  • Collaborate with employers who value equity
  • Embrace the flexibility of virtual

According to a survey from New America, black graduates are nearly twice as likely as white graduates to be unemployed after earning a college degree. It’s unsurprising that nearly one-third of Black Americans are now skeptical of the value of college, compared to just 14 percent of white Americans.
Northwest Louisiana students recognized for STEM accomplishments
Students in the BRF STEM education program received recognition for their achievements after completing and placing in the Louisiana Region 1 Science and Engineering Fair.

Both programs, Bobbie Cates Hicks Science and Medicine Academic Research Training (SMART) and Biotechnology Magnet Academy, are part of BRF’s EdVentures education initiative to build the region’s science and technology workforce.

The SMART program, launched in 1997, is a yearlong research experience for 12 academically advanced high school seniors from Caddo, Bossier, and DeSoto parishes. The students work alongside investigators at LSU Health Shreveport on research studies.

SMART students have a career interest in medicine, biomedical research or biomedical engineering. The program is a partnership among BRF; LSU Health Shreveport; and the Caddo, Bossier, and DeSoto Parish School Boards.
About LOSFA
The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), a program of the Louisiana Board of Regents, strives to be Louisiana's first choice for college access by promoting, preparing for, and providing equity of college access.