Tech outage at Louisiana student aid office; cause under investigation

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance said an incident disrupted the agency’s information technology systems Oct. 2, prompting warnings of possible delays for TOPS scholarships and START 529 payments as the cause is investigated. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, officials said the incident is contained and that Louisiana State Police, the Office of Technology Services and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are assisting. The agency asked colleges to extend payment deadlines to minimize disruption.

As of Friday, Oct. 3, the START Saving Program portal and student tools to track TOPS remained intermittently unavailable. The agency has not said whether the disruption was a cyberattack or whether personal information was affected, and a Board of Regents spokesperson declined to elaborate. State officials said they enlisted Louisiana State Police and other partners to assist with the investigation; no attribution or data compromise has been confirmed. LOSFA administers the statewide Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarship and the START 529 college-savings program.