In most states, one ACT point is a small bragging right. In Louisiana, one point can be worth thousands of dollars — because of how TOPS is built.

Let me show you exactly where those points live.

The tiers are only points apart Look at how close the TOPS rungs sit: - 20 → Opportunity (tuition) - 23 → Performance (tuition + $400/year stipend) - 27 → Honors (tuition + $800/year stipend) - 31 → Excellence (up to $12,000/year, the new top award)

The jump from a 19 to a 20 is the difference between no TOPS tuition award and a full tuition award. That single point can be worth tens of thousands of dollars across four years. There may be no more valuable point on any test your student ever takes.

The math that stuns parents: a student sitting at 19 who reaches 20 doesn't gain "one point." They cross the line from paying tuition to having tuition paid. And a student who climbs from a 27 to a 31 moves into the most generous award the state offers. Same test, same student — a few points apart.

Why this is actually hopeful Here's the reframe that matters: because the tiers are only points apart, your student usually doesn't need a dramatic transformation. They need a few well-placed points. And a few points is a very achievable goal with focused, pattern-based preparation. Big score jumps sound intimidating. "Three points to the next tier" sounds like exactly what it is — reachable.

Where the points usually hide Most students leave points on the table in predictable places: the same repeated grammar rules, the same math setups, the same reading traps, and simple pacing mistakes. These aren't ability problems — they're pattern problems, and patterns can be taught. That's the entire premise of good ACT coaching.

The bottom line for Louisiana families Your student's next few ACT points may be the highest-value points they ever earn — not because the test is magic, but because Louisiana attached real scholarship dollars to them. Knowing that turns a vague goal ("do better on the ACT") into a specific, motivating one ("reach the next tier").

Somewhere in your student's test are a few points worth thousands. The work is finding them.

TOPS award values are set by LOSFA, vary by institution, and can change. Confirm current amounts at mylosfa.la.gov.