How to Switch to Homeschool in Louisiana Without Losing Your Child's TOPS Scholarship

If you're switching from public or private school to homeschooling in Louisiana and your child is in middle school or high school, TOPS scholarship eligibility is the single most important variable in your withdrawal decision. Here's the direct answer: you must register under the BESE-Approved Home Study Program (not the Registered Nonpublic School pathway), file within 15 days of beginning home instruction, and maintain strict documentation through 9th and 10th grade to be considered under the 2025 ACT 359 alternate eligibility criteria. Choosing the wrong pathway can jeopardize TOPS access while that pathway is in use, and a missed filing can create verification problems; time spent under Pathway 2 cannot be counted retroactively, and a later switch remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements.

This is not theoretical. The pathway choice affects current access to programs. The Nonpublic School option — which requires less paperwork — does not provide TOPS access while the student remains in that pathway, and time spent there cannot be counted retroactively. A later switch remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements.

The Two Pathways and Why Only One Protects TOPS

Louisiana gives homeschool families two legal pathways. The current TOPS consequences of each differ:

Parents who choose the Nonpublic School pathway because it requires less initial paperwork may discover years later — usually when their child is a junior preparing for college — that the pathway did not provide TOPS access while it was in use. Time under that status cannot be counted retroactively, so the parent must evaluate a later switch under current requirements.

The TOPS-Safe Withdrawal Sequence

To protect TOPS eligibility during the transition to homeschooling, execute these steps in order:

Step 1: File the BESE Application First

Submit your initial BESE-Approved Home Study application through the LDOE online portal before sending a withdrawal letter to the school. Save the receipt: it documents that the application was submitted, but it is not by itself proof of BESE approval or enrollment.

The application requires basic demographic information and a certified copy of the student's birth certificate. File within 15 days of beginning home instruction. Enter the grade-level field correctly the first time, because the LDOE explicitly states that retroactive changes are not allowed.

Step 2: Withdraw from the Current School

Send a formal withdrawal letter via certified mail with return receipt requested. The letter should identify the student and effective date and may reference R.S. 17:236.1 and FERPA. For a public school, the school cannot refuse a parent's withdrawal; an exit interview is not listed as a prerequisite in LDOE guidance. Private-school contracts and records policies can create separate obligations, and FERPA's statutory exceptions still apply to disclosure requests.

Step 3: Use ACT Home Study Code 969999

When your child registers for the ACT (which they should take in 11th grade at the latest), they should use the home study high school code 969999. If the code is omitted or entered incorrectly, identify the student's home-study status on the FAFSA or TOPS application and submit documentation to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) for verification.

Step 4: Maintain Annual BESE Renewal

Submit your renewal by October 1 of each year (or within 12 months of initial approval, whichever is later). You need one of three forms of evidence:

1. Curriculum packet — subject outlines plus 1–2 pages of student work per core subject (Math, ELA, Social Studies, Science)
2. Standardized test scores — ACT, SAT, Iowa Test, Stanford Achievement Test, or state LEAP results at or above grade level or showing one-year progression
3. Teacher statement — a Louisiana-certified teacher's written assessment that the program meets the "quality at least equal to" standard

Most families use the curriculum packet for elementary and middle school years, then switch to standardized testing in high school when ACT scores serve double duty for TOPS.

Step 5: Document 9th and 10th Grade Rigorously

Under the 2025 ACT 359 changes, LOSFA now requires strict documentation of the student's 9th and 10th-grade years before processing TOPS eligibility for 11th and 12th-grade Home Study status. This means:

• Keep copies of every BESE approval and renewal confirmation
• Maintain detailed records of subjects studied, materials used, and student work
• Archive attendance logs showing 180 instructional days per year
• Save all correspondence with the LDOE

If you cannot demonstrate continuous BESE-Approved Home Study status during 9th and 10th grade, LOSFA may not process your child's TOPS application — even if the ACT scores qualify.

Step 6: Submit to LOSFA by January 15

All supporting documentation — including copies of 11th and 12th-grade BESE approval notifications, ACT scores, and the home study verification form — must be submitted to LOSFA by January 15 following the one-year anniversary of high school graduation. This deadline is not flexible.

The 2025 ACT 359 Score Requirements

TOPS uses different ACT score thresholds for each award tier. Home Study students use "Alternate Eligibility" criteria, but the score benchmarks do not eliminate current coursework, documentation, and other LOSFA requirements:

These scores changed under ACT 359 in 2025. Blog posts, forum advice, and guides written before 2025 may cite different thresholds. The scores above are the current requirements for BESE-Approved Home Study students.

The LA GATOR ESA Trap

Louisiana's new Education Scholarship Account program (LA GATOR) offers up to $7,626 per year — or $15,253 for students with IDEA-verified disabilities. This sounds attractive, but there is a critical conflict: LA GATOR participation and BESE Home Study status are mutually exclusive under current law.

If you enroll in LA GATOR, you cannot simultaneously remain in either BESE Home Study or registered Nonpublic School status. If you relinquish BESE Home Study status, you lose the BESE Home Study basis for TOPS access while you are no longer in that pathway; any later change remains subject to current requirements. For families with high schoolers targeting TOPS, this means LA GATOR is almost always the wrong choice — the scholarship value of TOPS over four years of university far exceeds the annual ESA amount.

The Louisiana Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes a complete LA GATOR ESA Navigator that maps this decision based on your child's age, grade level, and college plans.

Who This Is For

• Parents of middle school or high school students who are withdrawing to homeschool and need to protect college scholarship eligibility
• Families who haven't filed yet and want to make the right pathway choice from day one
• Parents who already chose the Nonpublic School pathway and want to understand whether switching to BESE Home Study can preserve future TOPS eligibility under current requirements (time spent under Nonpublic status doesn't count retroactively)
• High school juniors and seniors whose families need the exact ACT score targets and LOSFA filing timeline

Who This Is NOT For

• Families with elementary-age children who don't need to worry about TOPS for several years (though starting with BESE now preserves the option)
• Parents who have already decided against Louisiana public universities — TOPS only applies to in-state institutions
• Families pursuing the LA GATOR ESA who have decided the annual funding outweighs TOPS eligibility

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch from the Nonpublic School pathway to BESE Home Study and recover TOPS eligibility?

You can switch at any time by submitting a new BESE initial application within 15 days of the transition. However, time spent under Nonpublic School status does not count toward TOPS eligibility requirements, and any later eligibility remains subject to current LOSFA and BESE requirements. If your child is currently in 9th or 10th grade and registered as Nonpublic, switching to BESE now may preserve future options. If your child is already in 11th grade under Nonpublic status, the current requirements may leave too little time.

What happens if I miss the October 1 BESE renewal deadline?

If you miss the renewal deadline, your BESE approval may lapse. A lapse in approval creates a gap in your child's documented educational status, which can complicate TOPS eligibility verification. If LDOE requests clarification or additional evidence, additional documentation can often address that request, so respond promptly. Do not assume a missed deadline is cured automatically, especially during 9th through 12th grade.

Does my child need to take the ACT multiple times?

LOSFA uses the highest ACT composite score on record. Your child can take the ACT multiple times, and only the best score counts. Most families have their child take the ACT for the first time in 10th or 11th grade, with a second attempt in 11th or 12th grade if the initial score falls below their target TOPS tier.

Can TOPS be combined with other financial aid?

Yes. TOPS covers tuition at Louisiana public universities and can be combined with federal financial aid (Pell Grants, student loans), institutional scholarships, and other state aid. TOPS Opportunity alone covers full tuition for eight semesters — combined with other aid, it can make a Louisiana public university education effectively free.

What if my child wants to attend a private university in Louisiana like Tulane?

TOPS applies only to Louisiana public postsecondary institutions — LSU, UL Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, LSUS, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and the community/technical college system. Each institution may apply its own admissions requirements. Tulane, Loyola, Xavier, and other private universities are not covered by TOPS. If your child is targeting a private institution, TOPS eligibility is less relevant to your pathway decision, though maintaining BESE status still provides other benefits (Act 715 sports access and a diploma with the rights and privileges afforded to a state-approved nonpublic-school diploma under R.S. 17:236.1(G)).

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