Learn about the START Saving Program
Welcome to Louisiana’s 529 START & START K12 Saving Programs – Programs of the Board of Regents!
The Student Tuition Assistance & Revenue Trust program, commonly referred to as the START Saving Program, is an innovative saving plan designed to help families contend with the growing cost of educating their children.
Learn about FAFSA
Are you a parent who’s looking ahead to your child’s college years? Or just about to face the first tuition bill?
Here are some resources to help parents save for college, learn about financial aid, and understand the application process.
More Information for Parents…
FSA ID
- What is the FSA ID, and Why Do I Need One?
The FSA ID is a username and password that is used to sign and submit the FAFSA. The FSA ID has the same status as a written signature and is used to sign legally binding documents electronically.
- Who Needs A FSA ID?
Each student completing a FAFSA would need his or her own FSA ID. Dependent students will also need a parent to create an FSA ID. Parents can use the same FSA ID for multiple children. However, each user would need his or her own email address.
- How Do I Create an FSA ID?
Go to fsaid.ed.gov.Enter your email address.Create a username and password (passwords require a capital letter, a lowercase letter and a number or special character).Enter your social security number, date of birth and name.Enter your Federal Student Aid PIN if you have one (parents with older children may already have an established PIN number that they can link to their FAFSA).Enter your mailing address.Enter your phone number and an alternate phone number.Set up five challenge questions.Read and accept the terms.Verify your email address by entering the six digit secure code that was emailed to you.
FSA IDs will take 1-3 days to be confirmed by the Social Security Administration (SSA). You will receive an email from the SSA informing you of the results
Terminology
- College Access Terms
Louisiana TOPS University Pathway prepares students for entrance to a four-year Louisiana state university or for a career. Students may be eligible for a TOPS scholarship if they meet additional requirements including GPA and ACT.
Click here for more information.
Jump Start TOPS Tech Pathway helps prepare students for a Louisiana community college, technical school, military, or for a career by requiring them to earn industry-valued credentials to graduate. Jump Start courses are career building and offer workplace experiences. Students may be eligible for a TOPS Tech scholarship if they meet additional requirements including GPA and ACT or WorkKeys.
Click here for more information on Jump Start.
ACT WorkKeys– looks at students’ career readiness and determines students’ aptitude for a specific career, or measure students’ abilities in a variety of workplace skills so that you (and potentially your teacher/boss) can see where your strengths and weaknesses are in professional areas. Scores range from
Bronze: Score of 3 or higher on each of the three exams
Silver: Score of 4 or higher on each of the three exams
Gold: Score of 5 or higher on each of the three exams
Platinum: Score of 6 or higher on each of the three exams
Click here for more information on ACT WorkKeys.
Completion Events
FAFSA Completion events are available for students and parents across the state. FAFSA completion events take place in a computer lab or a library where attendees have access to computers. LOSFA representatives are available to help students and parents fill out the FAFSA and can provide line by line assistance. Students and parents will each need to create their own FSA ID prior to completing the FAFSA. Parents can use the same FSA ID for multiple children; however, each student would need his or her own unique ID. Once the FAFSA has been completed, the LOSFA representatives can explain the confirmation page and answer any questions about the Student Aid Report information.
