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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 520
BY SENATOR DONAHUE
POSTSECONDARY ED. Revises academic requirements for initial eligibility to receive
certain TOPS awards and allocates additional funding to the La. GO Grant program. (gov
sig)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(5) and to enact R.S. 17:3046.3 and2
3048.1(A)(1)(b)(iii), (c)(iv), and (d)(iii), relative to financial assistance for certain3
postsecondary students; to provide relative to the Taylor Opportunity Program for4
Students; to revise the academic requirements for initial eligibility to receive certain5
program awards; to provide with respect to funding for the Louisiana GO Grant6
program; to provide for effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.7
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:8
Section 1. R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(5) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.9
17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(iii), (c)(iv), and (d)(iii) are hereby enacted to read as follows:10
§3048.1. Program awards; eligibility; amounts; limitations; funding; administration11
A. * * *12
(1)(a) * * *13
(b) * * *14
(iii)(aa) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,15
effective for students who graduate during the 2017-2018 school year and16
thereafter from a Louisiana public high school or nonpublic high school that17 SB NO. 520
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has been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,1
the minimum cumulative high school grade point average required for such2
students to be eligible for an initial Opportunity award shall be 2.75 on a 4.003
scale, and the minimum required composite score on the American College Test,4
or equivalent concordant score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, shall be twenty-5
one.6
(bb) The minimum cumulative grade point average specified in this Item7
shall be calculated using only the grades obtained by the student in completing8
the core curriculum requirements established by this Section.9
(c) * * *10
(iv)(aa) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,11
effective for students who graduate during the 2017-2018 school year and12
thereafter from a Louisiana public high school or nonpublic high school that13
has been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,14
the minimum cumulative high school grade point average required for such15
students to be eligible for an initial Performance award shall be 3.00 on a 4.0016
scale, and the minimum required composite score on the American College Test,17
or equivalent concordant score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, shall be twenty-18
five.19
(bb) The minimum cumulative grade point average specified in this Item20
shall be calculated using only the grades obtained by the student in completing21
the core curriculum requirements established by this Section.22
(d) * * *23
(iii)(aa) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,24
effective for students who graduate during the 2017-2018 school year and25
thereafter from a Louisiana public high school or nonpublic high school that26
has been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,27
the minimum cumulative high school grade point average required for such28
students to be eligible for an initial Honors award shall be 3.00 on a 4.00 scale,29 SB NO. 520
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and the minimum required composite score on the American College Test, or1
equivalent concordant score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, shall be twenty-2
nine.3
(bb) The minimum cumulative grade point average specified in this Item4
shall be calculated using only the grades obtained by the student in completing5
the core curriculum requirements established by this Section.6
* * *7
(C) * * *8
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, including9
but not limited to Items (A)(1)(c)(i) and (d)(i) and effective with for students who10
graduate during the 2007-2008 school year and thereafter through the 2016-201711
school year from a Louisiana public high school or nonpublic high school which has12
been approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and that13
meets other provisions of this Section applicable to nonpublic schools, the minimum14
cumulative high school grade point average necessary for such students to be eligible15
for an initial Performance Award or Honors Award shall be 3.00 on a 4.00 scale and16
such grade point average shall be calculated by using only the grades obtained by the17
student in completing the core curriculum requirements established by this Section.18
* * *19
Section 2. R.S. 17:3046.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:20
§3046.3. Funding21
A.(1) Beginning with the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the legislature shall22
appropriate ten percent of any savings attributable to the implementation of23
Section 1 of the Act that originated as Senate Bill No. 520 of the 2014 Regular24
Session of the Legislature for the purpose of increasing the number of students25
participating in the Louisiana GO Grant program pursuant to this Chapter.26
(2) Beginning in 2017, the Legislative Fiscal Office shall issue a fiscal27
and economic impact statement on December first of each year documenting the28
projected dollar amount of the savings as provided in Paragraph (1) of this29 SB NO. 520
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Subsection for the ensuing fiscal year. The legislative fiscal officer shall forward1
this annual statement to the commissioner of administration for use in2
developing the budgets for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students and3
the Go Grant program.4
B. The monies appropriated by the legislature for the Louisiana GO5
Grant program pursuant to this Section shall not displace, replace, or supplant6
the average amount of the monies appropriated by the legislature for the7
program for the three most recent fiscal years.8
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not9
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature10
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If11
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become12
effective on the day following such approval.13
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Donahue (SB 520)
Present law provides for minimum academic standards required for initial eligibility for
awards pursuant to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) for students who
graduate from a La. public high school or a nonpublic high school approved by the State
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) as follows:
(1)For an Opportunity award, the student must have a minimum grade point average
(GPA) on the core curriculum of 2.50 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite
ACT score (or concordant Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score) of 20.
(2)For a Performance award, the student must have a minimum GPA on the core
curriculum of 3.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite ACT score (or
concordant SAT score) of 23.
(3)For an Honors award, the student must have a minimum GPA on the core curriculum
of 3.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite ACT score (or concordant SAT
score) of 27.
Proposed law retains present law for students graduating from high school through the 2016-
2017 school year.
Proposed law provides, effective for students graduating from high school during the 2017-
2018 school year and thereafter, that the minimum GPA and ACT score (or SAT concordant
score) required for initial eligibility for a TOPS award shall be as follows:
(1)For an Opportunity award, the student must have a minimum GPA on the core SB NO. 520
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curriculum of 2.75 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite ACT score (or
concordant SAT score) of 21.
(2)For a Performance award, the student must have a minimum GPA on the core
curriculum of 3.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite ACT score (or
concordant SAT score) of 25.
(3)For an Honors award, the student must have a minimum GPA on the core curriculum
of 3.00 calculated on a 4.00 scale, and a composite ACT score (or concordant SAT
score) of 29.
Present law requires that a student who has successfully completed a BESE-approved home
study program at the 12th-grade level must have a composite ACT score (or the specified
equivalent) that is at least two points higher than that required for a student graduating from
a La. public high school or BESE-approved nonpublic high school to be eligible for an
Opportunity Award, and at least one point higher to qualify for a Performance or Honors
award.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides for the La. GO Grant program to provide financial assistance to
postsecondary students with demonstrated financial need and who meet the eligibility
requirements established for participation in the program as follows:
(1)Is a La. resident at the time of application.
(2)Meets the admission requirements and is enrolled in a La. public college or
university or a regionally accredited independent college or university that is a
member of the La. Association of Independent Colleges and Universities "eligible
colleges and universities".
(3)Is a recipient of a federal Pell Grant or has submitted a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid and is a recipient of a financial need grant from an eligible college or
university or any other need-based aid as determined by the Bd. of Regents (BOR).
(4)Is determined to have unmet need with regards to the ability to pay the cost of
attendance for the eligible college or university in which the student is enrolled.
(5)Maintains steady academic progress as defined by the BOR for continued
participation.
(6)Meets any other eligibility criteria the BOR may require.
Present law requires the Bd. of Regents to establish the criteria for initial and continuing
eligibility, the method for determining the award amount, and other program requirements
as required by the board. Further provides that the La. Student Financial Assistance
Commission, through the office of student financial assistance, shall administer the program.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides that beginning with the 2018-
2019 fiscal year, the legislature shall appropriate ten percent of any savings attributable to
the implementation of Section 1 of proposed law for the purpose of increasing the number
of students participating in the La. GO Grant program. Further provides that the monies
appropriated by the legislature for the GO Grant program pursuant to proposed law shall not
displace, replace, or supplant the average amount of the monies appropriated by the
legislature for the program for the three most recent fiscal years.
Proposed law provides that beginning in 2017, the Legislative Fiscal Office shall issue a
fiscal and economic impact statement on December first of each year documenting the SB NO. 520
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projected dollar amount of the savings as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection for
the ensuing fiscal year. Further provides that the legislative fiscal officer shall forward this
annual statement to the commissioner of administration for use in developing the budgets
for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students and the Go Grant program.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(5); adds 17:3046.3 and 3048.1(A)(1)(b)(iii), (c)(iv), and (d)(iii))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Restores the minimum GPA required in proposed law for the opportunity
award from 3.00 to 2.75 and restored the minimum GPA required for the
Performance and Honors awards to the 3.00 required in present law.
2. Reduces the minimum ACT scores required in proposed law for the
Opportunity and Performance awards.
3. Requires the Legislative Fiscal Office to develop an annual economic impact
statement projecting the savings attributable to proposed law to be forwarded
to the commissioner of administration for use in developing budgets for
TOPS and GO Grants.