ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 178
BY REPRESENTATIVES JEFFERSON AND WESLEY BISHOP
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Board of Regents, in collaboration with the Louisiana Student
Financial Assistance Commission, study the state's merit-based and need-based
student financial assistance programs and to submit a written report of findings,
conclusions, and recommendations to the House Committee on Education not later
than sixty days prior to the beginning of the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature
of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, R.S. 17:3129.7 requires the Board of Regents to develop and maintain
a comprehensive state student financial aid plan that supports the Master Plan for Public
Postsecondary Education and to consider all sources of financial aid available to students
attending or seeking to attend postsecondary education institutions in Louisiana and the
financial needs of such students; and
WHEREAS, two major components of student financial aid in Louisiana are the
merit-based Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) and the need-based Louisiana
GO Grant program; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of TOPS, according to the Louisiana Administrative Code,
Chapter 7, Section 701, is to provide an incentive for Louisiana residents to academically
prepare for and pursue postsecondary education in this state, resulting in an educated work
force enabling Louisiana to prosper in the global market of the future; and
WHEREAS, relative to the purpose of the Louisiana GO Grant program, the
legislature finds in R.S. 17:3046 that leveraging access to postsecondary education for
students with demonstrated financial need ensures that all qualified students are afforded an
opportunity to achieve their full educational potential, increase their overall quality of life,
and maximize their contribution to the state's economic development; and
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WHEREAS, though TOPS and the GO Grant program are excellent programs that
have helped thousands of Louisiana students in their pursuit of postsecondary education,
there are some aspects of the overall financial aid landscape in Louisiana that merit further
analysis and consideration; and
WHEREAS, one issue that many find concerning about TOPS is that TOPS awards
are disproportionately awarded to white, relatively wealthy students, as noted in the TOPS
Report: Analysis of the TOPS Program from 2003-2014, published by the Board of Regents,
which states that during this time span, approximately seventy-nine percent of TOPS
recipients were white, and the mean and median household income of TOPS recipients
ranged from $70,000 to $99,000, much higher than Louisiana's median household income
of approximately $44,000; and
WHEREAS, another concern that some have raised about TOPS is the award
retention rate of its recipients; this same Board of Regents report states that approximately
one-third of TOPS recipients between 2003 and 2014 had their award cancelled during some
point in their postsecondary academic career; and
WHEREAS, one of the most widely discussed matters related to TOPS is its cost;
according to the report, the state spent approximately $1.9 billion funding the TOPS program
from 1999 through 2014, and during that time period, total expenditures on the program
increased 296%; and
WHEREAS, in terms of elements of the Go Grant program that call for continued
study, its underfunding ranks above all; in 2011, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP)
published a report stating that in Louisiana, "spending on need-based aid is consistently out
of line with that of other states" and that the GO Grant Program "has been chronically
underfunded"; and
WHEREAS, this LBP report also points out that "even with a maximum allowable
GO Grant, students can have large, unmet financial needs" and that "compared to other
Southern states and to states nationally, Louisiana spends a disproportionately large share
of its financial aid resources on those who can readily afford college while providing too
little to those who need financial help in order to have a chance at a college education"; and
WHEREAS, calling for more need-based aid, the LBP report states that "students
from low-income and minority backgrounds – those who have been traditionally
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underrepresented in Louisiana's colleges and universities – are less likely to benefit from
TOPS" and "to ensure that higher education remains accessible to all Louisianans, Louisiana
needs to redirect its financial aid resources and to increase funding to its need-based
financial aid program"; and
WHEREAS, this report's ultimate recommendation is that "legislators should strike
a balance between funding TOPS and Go Grants so that taxpayer dollars maximize
attendance across all income levels"; and
WHEREAS, in light of the state's precarious budget situation and the fundamental
importance of postsecondary education, it is imperative that the positive and negative aspects
of the state's merit-based and need-based student financial aid programs receive a thorough
study.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Board of Regents, in collaboration
with the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission, to study the state's merit-
based and need-based student financial assistance programs and to submit a written report
of findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the House Committee on Education not
later than sixty days prior to the beginning of the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature
of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such report shall analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of both merit-based and need-based programs in the state and provide
recommendations for how such programs might be revised in terms of helping more
Louisiana students maximize their postsecondary education opportunities and success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the chairman of the Board of Regents, the commissioner of higher education, and the
chairman of the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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