The student begins their Individual Growth Plan in the 8th grade.

The plan guides course and pathway selection, supports educational and career exploration, informs secondary and postsecondary decisions, and documents graduation requirement completion.

A student’s IGP is reviewed, updated, and signed annually--from middle school through graduation.

• Individual Growth Plan - fillable form
• Guidance for Individual Gradual Planning

Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC)

collegewise.com - college admission counseling, academic & ACT tutoring, live webinars, guides, blog, and newsletter. This is an incredible resource for families who are just getting started with planning for college. Subscribe to their blog.

Getting Credit and Placement - Entering college with credit you’ve already earned through AP can save you time and money—for example, you might be able to skip introductory courses or even graduate early. Let this site give you guidance on that process.

Taylor Opportunity Program For Students (TOPS) is a program of state merit-based scholarships for Louisiana residents who attend either one of the Louisiana Public Colleges and Universities, schools that are a part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana approved Proprietary and Cosmetology Schools or institutions that are a part of the Louisiana Assoiation of Independent Colleges and Universities.

• TOPS Award Levels and Eligibilty Requirements
• TOPS University Diploma Requirements

All Things Jump Start available on the state department site provides information to every aspect of Jump Start.

Below are links to items parents are especially interested in to help guide students toward the pathway that will best fit their needs:

• What are the diploma requirements? 
• Jump Start Graduation Pathways
• Industry Credential Fact Sheets

See List of Dates and Times

The Louisiana Board of Regents has developed this information to help students, families, and counselors access dual enrollment opportunities throughout the state. Discover how to earn college credit while still in high school.

• Louisiana Dual Enrollment

Register for the ACT

Register for the ACT

Visit ACT.ORG to register to take the test.

2025-2026 National Test Dates Schedule 

• WorkKeys Assessments

TPSS offers:

- Applied Math

-Graphic Literacy

-Workplace Documents

• ACT College and Career Readiness - act.org
• ACT Test Subject Practice Questions

• TOPS Information, Eligibility, and Award Levels
• All Things TOPS - Your Guide to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students

To be successful in college, students need to be prepared for college coursework. In Division I and Division II, the NCAA sets academic initial-eligibility standards that take into account GPA, standardized test scores, core courses taken in high school and the grades earned in those core courses. Division III schools hold student-athletes to the same overall standards for the institution in which they’re enrolling.

All student-athletes also must meet the unique acceptance requirements of the college or university they plan to attend (which may exceed NCAA standards).

NCAA Eligibility Center

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

• StudentScholarships.org - a site dedicated to providing scholarship information to students and scholarship management services.  

  • Sign up to receive a weekly Scholarship Newsletter

• LAFEPA Scholarship - The purpose of this scholarship program is to provide a one-time award of $1,500 to twelve high school seniors who will be attending their first year of college. Recipients will be selected from public high schools throughout Louisiana.

• The Louisiana Sheriff's Association will provide one $1000 award to a Tangi high school senior who is planning to attend a Louisiana college or trade school.

• The Louisiana Life Safety and Security Association will provide a $2,500 and a $1000 award to high school seniors whose parents are in the electronic systems industry as well as law enforcement and first responder industries.

• LHSAA Scholarships - Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Scholarships are for student-athletes who participate in LHSAA sanctioned sports.

• Uniball’s Skilled Trades Scholarship - For those pursuing a skilled trade.  Deadline: March 13

• Dairy MAX Scholarship - To be eligible, applicants must: reside in the geographic territory served by Dairy MAX which includes Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming; be a high school senior or undergraduate student currently enrolled in a junior college or four-year college program; and, be either a child of a dairy farmer, a child of a dairy farm employee, or an FFA or 4-H dairy show participant your junior or senior year in high school.  Deadline: March 31

• Horatio Alger CTE Scholarships - Applications open in March; Deadline varies

• National Restaurant Association Educational Scholarships - Deadline: March 15

• SkillsUSA Member Scholarships - Deadline: varies

• Jump Start Construction Connect Scholarship - Program Deadline: April 22

LOSFA Scholarships and Grants

Information on all the scholarships and grants LOSFA provides can be found here as well as the requirements for each. TOPS and TOPS Tech requirements are decided by Louisiana State Legislation. There is no application fee or fees of any kind when applying for scholarships and grants with LOSFA.

LOSFA Scholarships and Grants

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application is required by the state for funding, including TOPS and other grants for technical schools. 

FUNDING MY FUTURE
Most Louisiana high school graduates are eligible for some form of merit or need-based financial aid. Students can apply for state and federal financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be used at four-year universities, two-year community colleges, and technical training programs. The FAFSA is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution, and the results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and educational loan amounts.

How does FAFSA work?

Financial aid is often awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and the final deadline for FAFSA can sneak up on you. Checking this task off your list now could make a big difference in the opportunities available to your student after graduation. The official deadlines are posted below.

View FAFSA Deadlines

You have the option to start your application online from anywhere, at any time. 

Start Your FAFSA Now

YES! Check with your school counselor.

ONLINE SUPPORT TOOLS

LOSFA’s Louisiana Award System is an online tool that allows students, family members, and counselors to:

• Track TOPS and TOPS Tech eligibility
• Store an individual graduation plan

10 things you need to know about the FAFSA

Guide the filling out your FAFSA & Frequently Asked Questions

College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
Search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results, and more.

Star Jobs (will open in new tab) is a searchable data base of Louisiana-specific career and employer information that connects students to Louisiana career opportunities that are high-demand and align to career interests.  

The Louisiana Workforce Commission provides a tool for the state of Louisiana to track high-wage, high-demand jobs in Louisiana. Tangipahoa is in the Regional Labor Market Area for Region 2.

High Wage High Demand Jobs

My Life My Way and LOSFA’s Unlock My Future are online career planning tools that help students:

• Explore and assess career interests
• Align academic and career goals

Big Future - Finding colleges and careers that are right for you doesn’t have to be stressful. Sign in for help planning for life after high school.

• explore careers
• plan for college
• info on ways to help pay for college
• scholarship information