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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE BILL NO. 385
BY REPRESENTATIVE HARRISON
STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP: Provides relative to Taylor Opportunity Program for
Students
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i) and to enact R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(6) and (Y),2
relative to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students; to increase the ACT score3
required for an Opportunity Award; to provide for the repayment by a student who4
fails to meet certain requirements during the first two award years; to provide5
maximum award amounts; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.8
17:3048.1(C)(6) and (Y) are hereby enacted to read as follows: 9
ยง3048.1. Program awards; eligibility; amounts; limitations; funding; administration10
A.(1) As part of the Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, the11
state shall financially assist any student who enrolls on a full-time basis in a public12
college or university in this state or a regionally accredited independent college or13
university in the state that is a member of the Louisiana Association of Independent14
Colleges and Universities, hereafter in this Chapter referred to collectively as15
"eligible colleges and universities", to pursue an academic undergraduate degree or,16
as provided by this Subsection, skill or occupational training as defined by the Board17
of Regents, including a vocational or technical education certificate or diploma18
program or a nonacademic undergraduate degree, and who meets the qualifications19
of Subparagraph (b), (c), or (d) of this Paragraph and all of the applicable following20
qualifications:21
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(b)(i) Has been certified as provided in Subsection D of this Section to have1
graduated from a public high school or a nonpublic high school which has been2
approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, has a3
minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 calculated on a 4.00 scale, has a4
composite score on the 1990 version of the American College Test which is at least5
equal to or higher than the state's average composite score, rounded to the nearest6
whole number, reported for the prior year but never less than twenty for students7
graduating during the 2016-2017 school year or before and never less than twenty-8
two for students graduating during the 2017-2018 school year or thereafter, or an9
equivalent concordant value on an enhanced or revised version of such test or on the10
Scholastic Aptitude Test, and, unless granted an exception for cause by the11
administering agency, has enrolled in an eligible college or university as a first-time12
freshman not later than the semester, excluding summer semesters or sessions,13
immediately following the first anniversary of the date that the student graduated14
from high school or, if the student joins the United States Armed Forces within one15
year after graduating from high school, has enrolled in an eligible college or16
university as a first-time freshman not later than the semester, excluding summer17
semesters or sessions, immediately following the fifth anniversary of the date that18
the student graduated from high school; however, effective for the 1996-1997 school19
year and thereafter, if, on or prior to the fifth anniversary of the date that the student20
graduated from high school, the student reenlists in the United States Armed Forces21
and maintains continuous active duty, the five-year period shall be extended to the22
semester immediately following the one-year anniversary of the student's separation23
from active duty service. As distinguished from all other students qualifying for this24
program, a student who meets the requirements of this Subparagraph shall be the25
recipient of an "Opportunity Award" for the purposes of this program.26
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C.28
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(6)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter to the contrary and in1
addition to any other eligibility requirements provided by this Section for a student2
to initially receive and to continue to receive a program award, for a student to be3
eligible to have an award payment made on his behalf by the administering agency4
to an eligible institution, the student on whose behalf an award payment is made for5
any particular semester or other applicable time period during the first two award6
years shall agree to and be required to repay to the administering agency such award7
amount upon a determination by the agency that the student, during that particular8
semester or other applicable time period, failed to meet any of the requirements9
provided by Paragraph (A)(4) of this Section as may be applicable relative to the10
student making steady academic progress or maintaining full-time standing for11
continuing in the program.12
(b) The provisions of this Paragraph shall be applicable to those students13
who first qualify for a program award for the 2015-2016 award year or for any award14
year thereafter.15
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Y.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter to the contrary,17
beginning with the 2017-2018 award year and continuing through the 2021-202218
award year, the maximum tuition award amount provided by the state to an otherwise19
qualified student who is the recipient of an award granted pursuant to this Chapter20
and who enrolls in any public college or university in the state shall not exceed an21
amount determined by the administering agency to equal the tuition charged by the22
public college or university attended or one thousand six hundred dollars per23
semester, whichever is less.24
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter to the contrary, beginning25
with the 2017-2018 award year and continuing through the 2021-2022 award year,26
for an otherwise qualified student who is the recipient of an award granted pursuant27
to this Chapter and who enrolls in a regionally accredited independent college or28
university in the state which is a member of the Louisiana Association of29 HLS 14RS-828 ORIGINAL
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Independent Colleges and Universities, the maximum tuition award amount shall not1
exceed an amount determined by the administering agency to equal the weighted2
average amounts awarded under this Section for students attending public colleges3
or universities in the state or one thousand six hundred dollars per semester,4
whichever is less.5
(3) The maximum tuition award amount specified in this Subsection is6
exclusive of any additional amounts awarded to students who qualify to receive a7
Performance or Honors Award.8
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Harrison HB No. 385
Abstract: Revises the TOPS program in three areas: increases required ACT scores for the
TOPS Opportunities Award, requires TOPS repayment in certain cases, and caps
TOPS awards.
Relative to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS):
Increases ACT Scores
Proposed law, beginning in 2017-2018, changes the requisite American College Test (ACT)
score for the TOPS Opportunity Award by increasing the requisite ACT score from no less
than 20 to no less than 22.
TOPS Repayment
Proposed law provides (notwithstanding any provision of present law to the contrary and in
addition to any other eligibility requirements provided by present law for a student to
initially receive and to continue to receive a program award) that for a student to be eligible
to have an award payment during the first two award years, the student, for any particular
semester or other applicable time period, shall agree to and be required to repay such award
amount upon a determination by the agency that the student, during that particular semester
or other applicable time period, failed to meet any of the requirements provided by present
law (as may be applicable) relative to making steady academic progress or maintaining full-
time standing for continuing in the program. Provides that proposed law provisions are
applicable to those students who first qualify for a program award for the 2015-2016 award
year and any award year thereafter.
Maximum TOPS Award
Proposed law specifies that beginning with the 2017-2018 award year and continuing
through the 2021-2022 award year, the tuition award amount provided to a TOPS award
recipient who enrolls in any public college or university in the state shall not exceed an
amount determined by the La. Student Financial Assistance Commission (LSFAC) to equal
the tuition charged by the public college or university attended or $1,600 per semester,
whichever is less. Proposed law also specifies that for the same period of time, the tuition HLS 14RS-828 ORIGINAL
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award amount provided to a TOPS award recipient who enrolls in a regionally accredited
independent college or university in the state which is a member of the La. Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities shall not exceed an amount determined by LSFAC
to equal the weighted average amounts awarded for students attending public colleges or
universities in the state or $1,600 per semester, whichever is less. Provides that the
maximum tuition award amount specified in proposed law is exclusive of any additional
amounts awarded to students who qualify to receive a TOPS Performance or Honors Award.
(Amends R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i); Adds R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(6) and (Y))