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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 655
BY SENATOR BUFFINGTON
FUNDS/FUNDING. To authorize public or private entities to make certain donations to
various educational institutions for recipients of TOPS Awards or GO Grants. (7/1/14)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3046 and enact R.S. 17:3046.3 and 3048.1(M) and (Y),2
relative to financial assistance for certain qualified students; to authorize public or3
private entities to make certain donations to various education institutions for4
recipients of TOPS awards or GO Grants; to provide for an effective date; and to5
provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S.17:3046 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:3046.3 and8
3048.1(M) and (Y) are hereby enacted to read as follows: 9
§3046. Louisiana GO Grant program; legislative findings10
A. The legislature finds that a college education should be available to all11
qualified students, regardless of their financial means, and declares that the12
Louisiana GO Grant program established by the Board of Regents has enhanced13
access to postsecondary educational opportunities for Louisiana students with14
demonstrated financial need by providing critically needed assistance to help cover15
the cost of attending postsecondary education institutions in the state. The legislature16
further finds that leveraging access to postsecondary education for students with17 SB NO. 655
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demonstrated financial need ensures that all qualified students are afforded an1
opportunity to achieve their full educational potential, increase their overall quality2
of life, and maximize their contribution to the state's economic development.3
B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter to the contrary,4
any public or private entity, including any nonprofit organization, may make5
a directed donation to any eligible postsecondary institution for a student who6
is a recipient of a Louisiana GO Grant.7
* * *8
§3046.3. Private Scholarships9
A. Recognizing the success and growth of the Louisiana Go Grant10
program and in order to maintain the long term financial stability of the11
program, private businesses, industry, foundations, charities, individuals and12
other groups may request from the division of administration that,13
notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, they may create privately14
funded scholarship programs to make payments to eligible colleges and15
universities on behalf of individual students. If the division of administration16
were to approve a private scholarship program then any scholarship funds17
received by an eligible college or university from a private scholarship program18
on behalf of a student shall cause a reduction in the dollar amount of the grant19
award to the eligible college or university attributable to that student such that20
the grant award associated with that student shall be an amount that is equal21
to the dollar amount that the grant would have been if no such private22
scholarship funds had been received less the amount of private scholarship23
funds received by the eligible college or university on behalf of that student. 24
B. This Section shall in no way be interpreted in such a manner that a25
student could receive less benefits from a combination of the grants from the26
program and the private scholarship funded on his behalf then he would have27
received solely from the grant program if there had been no private scholarship28
funded on his behalf. Therefore, to the extent that any privately funded29 SB NO. 655
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scholarship funds provided for in this Section made to an eligible college or1
university on behalf of a qualified student are for an amount less than the2
amount a given student would have otherwise received as a grant if no such3
private scholarship funds had been paid under this Section and the criteria4
established by the Board of Regents, then the eligible college or university shall5
receive that difference on behalf of the student as the student's grant from the6
Louisiana Go Grant Program.7
C. As provided in this Section, when an eligible college or university8
receives privately funded scholarship funds on behalf of a student, the annual9
appropriation of state funds for the Go Grant program shall be reduced by the10
amount of the private scholarship program funds so received. The state11
treasurer shall deposit the amount of the reduction as specified by the12
commissioner of administration into the Overcollections Fund created in R. S.13
39:100.21 and credit the deposit to an account within the fund hereby14
established and created to be known as the "Program Participation Savings15
Account".16
* * *17
§3048.1. Program awards; eligibility; amounts; limitations; funding; administration18
* * *19
M. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter to the contrary,20
any public or private entity, including any nonprofit organization, may make21
a directed donation to any eligible postsecondary institution for a student who22
is a recipient of a Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students award.23
* * *24
Y.(1) Recognizing the success and growth of the TOPS Program and in25
order to maintain the long term financial stability of the TOPS Program,26
private businesses, industry, foundations, charities, and other individuals or27
groups may request from the division of administration that, notwithstanding28
any provision of law to the contrary, it may create scholarship programs to29 SB NO. 655
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make payments to eligible colleges and universities on behalf of individual1
students. If the division of administration were to approve a private scholarship2
program then any scholarship funds received by an eligible college or university3
from such private scholarship program on behalf of a student shall cause a4
reduction in the dollar amount of the TOPS award associated with that student5
to an amount that is equal to the dollar amount that the award would have been6
if no such private scholarship funds had been received less the amount of7
private scholarship funds received by the eligible college or university.8
(2) This Subsection shall in no way be interpreted in such a manner that9
a student could receive less benefits from a combination of the TOPS award10
from the program and the private scholarship funded on his behalf then he11
would have received solely from the TOPS program if there had been no private12
scholarship funded on his behalf. Therefore, to the extent that any privately13
funded scholarship funds provided for in this Subsection made to an eligible14
college or university on behalf of a qualified student are for an amount less than15
the amount a given student would have otherwise received if no such private16
scholarship funds had been paid as an award under the TOPS Program, then17
the eligible college or university shall receive that difference on behalf of the18
student as the student's award from the TOPS program.19
(3) As provided in this Subsection, when an eligible college or university20
receives privately funded scholarship funds on behalf of a student, the annual21
appropriation of state funds for the TOPS program shall be reduced by the22
amount of the private scholarship program funds so received. It is understood23
and provided that a reduction shall not effect the estimated nature of the TOPS24
appropriation as provided in the act or acts that contain such appropriations.25
The state treasurer shall deposit the amount of such reduction as specified by26
the commissioner of administration into the Overcollections Fund created in27
R.S. 39:100.21 and credit the deposit to an account within the fund hereby28
established and created to be known as the "Program Participation Savings29 SB NO. 655
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Account".1
Section 2. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2014; if vetoed by the governor2
and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on July 1,3
2014, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.4
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jay R. Lueckel.
DIGEST
Buffington (SB 655)
Present law provides for the establishment of the GO Grant program by the Board of
Regents to meet the financial need of certain students.
Present law provides for the establishment of the Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for
Students (TOPS) award. Provides for the eligibility of the various TOPS awards and the
administrative requirements of TOPS.
Proposed law retains present law relative to Go Grant and TOPS and also provides that any
public or private entity, including any nonprofit organization, may make a directed donation
to any eligible postsecondary institution for a student who is a recipient of a Louisiana GO
Grant or a Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students award.
Proposed law provides relative to the Go Grants Program and the TOPS Program that private
businesses, industry, foundations, charities, individuals and other groups may request the
division of administration to create privately funded scholarship programs to make payments
to eligible colleges and universities on behalf of eligible students.
Proposed law provides that the new private scholarship program shall in no way be
interpreted in such a manner that a student would receive less benefits from the private
scholarship than he would have from the Go Grant or TOPS Program had there been no
private scholarship program.
Proposed law additionally provides relative to the scholarship programs for Go Grants and
TOPS awards, when an eligible college or university receives private scholarship funds on
behalf of a student, the annual appropriation of state funds shall be reduced by the amount
of the private scholarship funds so received. The state treasurer shall deposit the amount of
the reduction as specified by the commissioner of administration into the Overcollections
Fund and credit the deposit to an account in the fund known as the "Program Participation
Savings Account".
Proposed law with respect to TOPS only provides that it is understood that a reduction shall
not effect the estimate nature of the TOPS appropriation as provided in the act or acts that
contain such appropriations.
Effective July 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 17:3046; adds R.S. 17: 3046.3 and 3048.1(M) and (Y)) SB NO. 655
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Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the original
bill
1. Adds a new section to the Go Grants Program and the TOPS Program that
private businesses, industry, foundations, charities, individuals and other
groups may request the division of administration to create privately funded
scholarship programs to make payments to eligible colleges and universities
on behalf of eligible students.
2. Provides that the new private scholarship program shall in no way be
interpreted in such a manner that a student would receive less benefits from
the private scholarship than he would have from the Go Grant or TOPS
Program had there been no private scholarship program.
3. Relative to the scholarship programs for Go Grants and TOPS awards, when
an eligible college or university receives private scholarship funds on behalf
of a student, the annual appropriation of state funds shall be reduced by the
amount of the private scholarship funds so received. The state treasurer shall
deposit the amount of the reduction as specified by the commissioner of
administration into the Overcollections Fund and credit the deposit to an
account in the fund known as the "Program Participation Savings Account".
4. For the TOPS Program, it is understood that a reduction shall not effect the
estimate nature of the TOPS appropriation as provided in the act or acts that
contain such appropriations.