Additional need-based state financial aid will be available to Louisiana postsecondary students during the 2018-19 academic year thanks to a $2 million increase in funding for the popular Louisiana GO Grant program, bringing the full annual allocation, as approved by the Board of Regents, to $28,429,108.
In a news release from the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Kim Hunter Reed said, “We are grateful to the Governor and Louisiana Legislature for recognizing the value of increasing aid for Louisiana’s most needy students.
Reed added, “With this increase in funding for the GO Grant program, we will improve affordability for more of our students beginning this fall.”
The GO Grant program was created in 2007 to provide a need-based component to the state’s financial aid plan to support nontraditional and low-to-moderate-income students who need additional aid to afford the cost of attending college.
During the 2017-2018 Academic Year a total of 22,953 students, representing every parish in Louisiana, received GO Grant assistance with an average award amount of $1,144.59.
There 383 grant recipients in St. Landry Parish along with 179 in Acadia Parish and 110 in Evangeline Parish.
To be considered, the student must be a Louisiana resident, have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), have been awarded a Pell Grant, and still have unmet remaining financial need after all other scholarships, grants and the expected family contribution (EFC) have been considered.
The Financial Aid Office of the eligible participating institution is responsible for determining a student’s eligibility. All schools in the LSU, University of Louisiana, Southern University and Louisiana Community and Technical College systems participate in the GO Grant program. Additional information may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office at the school attended.
The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) is a program of the Louisiana Board of Regents. LOSFA administers the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), the TOPS Tech Early Start Program, the Louisiana GO Grant program, The Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) 529 College Saving Program, the START K12 529 Saving program, the LA Able saving program for persons with disabilities, the Louisiana Gear Up Program, the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship, the John R. Justice Loan Repayment Program, and the Chafee Educational Training Voucher (ETV) Program.
