Louisiana student and vocational grants: GO Grant, M.J. Foster Promise and WIOA (2026-27)

Where the GO Grant comes from: a school allocation, not a state check

For 2025-26, the most recent year LOSFA has published an allocation for, the Legislature approved $70,480,716 for GO Grants ⁠³. Here is how that money was split among some of the schools:

Source: LOSFA bulletin S2025-3 ⁠³. Each school’s share is based on what it spent the year before. LOSFA had not posted a 2026-27 allocation bulletin when this guide was reviewed.

Because each campus gets a fixed sum, the $3,000 maximum is a ceiling, not a promise. Colleges award less when their allocation is tight. For 2025-26 the allocation covered fall, winter and spring only, with no plans to fund summer ⁠³. LOSFA’s program page also says the grant does not pay for summer terms ⁠¹. Colleges that do not commit their money by the deadline lose it, and LOSFA moves it to schools that have eligible students left without an award ⁠²⁠³. Proprietary and cosmetology schools are not eligible GO Grant institutions ⁠².

Who gets a GO Grant first: Pell, need, and the over-25 priority

You must meet five requirements: file the FAFSA, be a Louisiana resident, receive a federal Pell Grant, have financial need left after your Student Aid Index (SAI) and other gift aid are subtracted from your cost of attendance, and be enrolled at least half time in an undergraduate program. Half time means 6 semester hours, or 4 hours at a quarter school ⁠¹⁠². Louisiana does not set its own SAI cutoff. The limit comes from Pell, and for 2026-27 no student with an SAI of $14,790 or more can get a Pell Grant ⁠⁹.

The administrative code requires each college’s GO Grant packaging policy to send money to students with the most financial need and to give priority to students who are 25 or older ⁠². To keep the grant, you must file the FAFSA every year, keep receiving Pell, and stay at half time or more. Lifetime GO Grant eligibility follows the federal Pell lifetime limit ⁠¹. Colleges set their own priority dates, so ask your aid office for its deadline instead of looking for a statewide one.

M.J. Foster Promise: last-dollar money for adults in five job sectors

The M.J. Foster Promise Program pays for associate degrees and shorter credentials in five sectors: information technology, manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare. Eligible programs are at the 12 LCTCS community and technical colleges, LSU Eunice, Southern University at Shreveport and approved proprietary schools ⁠⁴. For a full-time student the award is up to $3,200 a year ($1,600 a semester), with a limit of $6,400 over three years. Programs shorter than one year can receive more than $3,200 in a single year ⁠²⁠⁴. The program pays last. It is applied after all other federal, state and school grants, though loans, work-study and WIOA funds are not counted first. It covers tuition, required fees, and mandatory books and materials ⁠².

Several 2026-27 changes took effect July 1, 2026 ⁠⁵:

• Age: Act 642 of the 2026 Regular Session paused the planned yearly drop in the minimum age. New applicants must be at least 21 in 2026-27 and 2027-28, 18 in 2028-29 and 17 from 2029-30.
• Money: Funding rose by $14.5 million, to $23,750,000. Payments are made in the order schools bill for them, as long as money remains.
• Programs: Dental Assistant, Medical Insurance Billing and Coding Specialist, and Pharmacy Technician/Assistant are no longer funded for new students.

Other requirements: you must be a U.S. citizen, have lived in Louisiana for 24 months, and have no associate or higher degree. You must also have family income at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, or be unemployed, or have been underemployed for at least six months ⁠²⁠⁴. People who are in prison or have a violent-crime conviction are not eligible. You must agree to live and work full time in Louisiana for one year after your last funded program ⁠². To keep the award, you need a 2.00 GPA, and it stops after 60 credit hours ⁠². You may receive one payment before filing a FAFSA, but you must file one after that ⁠².

TOPS Tech: the merit award for technical programs

TOPS Tech pays for up to two years of a technical certificate, diploma or applied associate program. To qualify, you need a 2.50 core GPA and an ACT score of 17, or a Silver level on ACT WorkKeys. You also need 21 units of the TOPS Tech JumpStart core or 19 units of the standard TOPS core. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and enroll full time by the first semester after the first anniversary of your graduation ⁠⁶. The award amount is tied to 2016-17 tuition ⁠⁶. LOSFA’s current payment chart, labeled 2024-25, lists TOPS Tech at $2,618.00 to $3,214.15 a year at public two-year colleges ⁠⁸. If you also qualify for M.J. Foster, you receive only the larger of the two awards ⁠².

The final deadline to apply is July 1 after the first anniversary of high school graduation. LOSFA recommends a priority date of February 1 of senior year. Applications that arrive up to 120 days late still count, but you lose one or two semesters of eligibility ⁠⁷.

No state form for students who cannot file the FAFSA

Unlike Texas or California, Louisiana has no state aid application for students who are not eligible for federal aid. The GO Grant requires a FAFSA and a Pell Grant ⁠¹. M.J. Foster requires U.S. citizenship ⁠². TOPS requires citizenship or permanent residency ⁠⁶. The TOPS Online Application is not an alternative for these students. It exists for families who can show they would not qualify for federal grant aid, and filing it means you are not considered for Pell or the GO Grant ⁠⁷.

Pell and Louisiana’s first-year Workforce Pell list

For July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, Pell Grants range from $740 to $7,395 ⁠⁹. A new federal rule also starts in 2026-27: you lose Pell if your non-federal grants and scholarships equal or exceed your cost of attendance ⁠¹¹. If you stack GO, TOPS and M.J. Foster awards, watch this cap.

Workforce Pell has paid for short programs since July 1, 2026. A program must run 8 to 14 weeks with 150 to 599 clock hours and have completion and job-placement rates of at least 70%. The governor must certify it and the U.S. Department of Education must approve it ⁠¹⁰⁠¹¹. You can receive Workforce Pell even if you already have a bachelor’s degree. It can be combined with WIOA funding, but Direct Loans are not available for these programs ⁠¹⁰.

For 2026-27, Louisiana Works chooses the candidate programs itself and does not accept applications from colleges. Programs must match M.J. Foster priority industries or 4- and 5-star jobs ⁠¹². Colleges can apply through a Louisiana Works portal starting with the 2027-28 award year. The Workforce Investment Council approves each program, and Louisiana Works certifies it to the Department of Education within 15 days ⁠¹². The state’s list of qualifying fields includes carpentry, electrical and power line installation, plumbing, HVAC-R, heavy equipment and vehicle maintenance, precision metalworking, ground transportation, and somatic bodywork such as massage therapy ⁠¹³. Before you count on Workforce Pell, ask the college whether your specific program has federal approval.

WIOA training accounts through Louisiana Works and HiRE

Louisiana Works runs WIOA adult and dislocated-worker training through local workforce development boards and their American Job Centers. Its online system, HiRE, holds the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) ⁠¹⁴. An Individual Training Account (ITA) pays only for a program on that list. The board approves it and sends payment to the school, not to you ⁠¹⁴⁠¹⁵. Federal rules let each board set its own dollar and time limits. WIOA must also come after other grant aid, and money can run out during a program year ⁠¹⁵.

The policy of the Seventh Planning District Consortium board (LWDA 70) shows how this works in practice. That board serves Bienville, Bossier, Caddo (balance of parish), Claiborne, DeSoto, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine and Webster parishes. Its policy caps training at two years for adults and dislocated workers, four years for out-of-school youth and three years for apprenticeships ⁠¹⁴. You must apply for Pell first. The ITA cannot exceed the cost the school lists on the ETPL. It can cover tuition, books, tools, uniforms, required tests and immunizations, while transportation and child care are handled separately as supportive services ⁠¹⁴. Ask your local board for its own limits.

Lining up Louisiana aid for 2027-28, step by step

1. File the 2027-28 FAFSA early

   It is your application for Pell and the GO Grant, and it also counts as your TOPS application ⁠¹⁠⁷. Keep the confirmation page as proof of the date you filed ⁠⁷.

2. Ask your college for its GO Grant priority date

   Each school sets its own dates and packaging policy, and once its allocation is spent, eligible students go without an award ⁠²⁠³.

3. Seniors: file by February 1 for TOPS

   The final TOPS deadline is July 1 after the first anniversary of graduation, and filing after it costs you semesters ⁠⁷.

4. Adults 21 and older: apply for M.J. Foster each year

   Pick a program from LOSFA’s approved list, submit the online application, and enroll by the school’s census date. Funds are paid in the order schools bill ⁠⁴⁠⁵.

5. For training shorter than a semester, go to Louisiana Works

   Register in HiRE, meet with a local American Job Center counselor, choose an ETPL program, and wait for a signed ITA before classes start ⁠¹⁴.

6. Keep each award

   GO Grant: refile the FAFSA and stay Pell-eligible ⁠¹. M.J. Foster: keep a 2.00 GPA and reapply each year ⁠². TOPS Tech: earn 24 hours a year and keep a 2.50 cumulative GPA at the end of each spring ⁠⁶.

7. Ask for an exception if you need one

   M.J. Foster allows exceptions for cause to its continuous-enrollment and three-year rules ⁠². LWDA 70 lets its program manager waive time or dollar limits with written justification ⁠¹⁴. Questions about M.J. Foster eligibility go to [email protected] ⁠⁵.

The 50-state comparison of student grants shows how the GO Grant compares with other states. Parents on FITAP can also read the Louisiana cash assistance guide for the STEP program.