There is no place on the ACT where a single point matters more than the jump from a 19 to a 20 — at least not if you live in Louisiana.

To a parent in most states, one ACT point is a rounding error. To a Louisiana family, the line between a 19 and a 20 can be the line between paying for four years of college and having TOPS pay for it. Same student. Same brain. One point. Tens of thousands of dollars.

Let me show you exactly why.

TOPS is a ladder, and the rungs are scores

The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) ties your award directly to your ACT Composite. It's not a sliding scale — it's a set of thresholds. Clear one, and a whole tier of funding unlocks at once:

  • 17 → TOPS Tech (two years of tuition at a community or technical college)
  • 20 → TOPS Opportunity (four years of tuition — the threshold most families are chasing)
  • 23 → TOPS Performance (four years plus an annual stipend)
  • 27 → TOPS Honors (four years plus a larger stipend)
  • 31 → TOPS Excellence (the top tier of the award)

The cliff between 19 and 20

Here's what makes that one point so dramatic. A student who scores a 19 sits just below the Opportunity threshold. A student who scores a 20 qualifies for four years of covered tuition. At a school like LSU Baton Rouge, that award is roughly $7,400 a year — which, over four years, lands right around $30,000.

A 19 and a 20 are one correct question apart on test day. But in scholarship dollars, they can be $30,000+ apart over a college career. That's the most valuable single point in your student's academic life.

And it keeps going. Cross into a 23 and you add a stipend. Reach a 27 and the stipend grows. Hit a 31 and you're at the top tier. Every one of those rungs is a few correct questions — and every one is worth real money.

Why this point is so reachable

Parents often assume a jump like 19 to 20 requires their student to somehow become "smarter." It doesn't. A one-point composite bump usually comes down to a small, specific set of fixable habits — a handful of grammar rules, a smarter pacing plan, a better approach to the questions students reliably leave on the table. These are teachable, and they move faster than almost anyone expects.

That's the part families find hard to believe until they see it: the most expensive point on the test is often one of the easiest to earn — once you know where to look.

One point. One test date. The difference between paying for college and Louisiana paying for it.

If your student is sitting anywhere near a threshold right now, the smartest thing you can do is find out exactly how close they are — and what that next point is worth.