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2015 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 48
BY SENATORS DONAHUE AND APPEL
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
TOPS. Provides relative to the minimum ACT score for TOPS eligibility and TOPS award
amounts. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i) and to enact R.S. 17:3048.1(Z), relative
3 to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students; to provide relative to the minimum
4 American College Test score required for eligibility for the Opportunity award; to
5 provide with respect to the monetary amounts for awards granted pursuant to the
6 program; to provide relative to future increases in award amounts; to provide for
7 effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
10 17:3048.1(Z) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 ยง3048.1. Program awards; eligibility; amounts; limitations; funding; administration
12 A.(1) As part of the Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, the
13 state shall financially assist any student who enrolls on a full-time basis in a public
14 college or university in this state or a regionally accredited independent college or
15 university in the state that is a member of the Louisiana Association of Independent
16 Colleges and Universities, hereafter in this Chapter referred to collectively as
17 "eligible colleges or universities", to pursue an academic undergraduate degree or,
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1 as provided by this Subsection, skill or occupational training as defined by the
2 administering agency including a vocational or technical education certificate or
3 diploma program or a nonacademic undergraduate degree, and who meets the
4 qualifications of Subparagraph (b), (c), or (d) of this Paragraph and all of the
5 applicable following qualifications:
6 (a) * * *
7 (b)(i) Has been certified as provided in Subsection D of this Section to have
8 graduated from a public high school or a nonpublic high school which has been
9 approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, has a
10 minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 calculated on a 4.00 scale, has a
11 composite score on the 1990 version of the American College Test which is at least
12 equal to or higher than the state's average composite score, rounded to the nearest
13 whole number truncated to a whole number, reported for the prior year, but never
14 less than twenty, or an equivalent concordant value on an enhanced or revised
15 version of such test or on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and, unless granted an
16 exception for cause by the administering agency, has enrolled in an eligible college
17 or university as a first-time freshman not later than the semester, excluding summer
18 semesters or sessions, immediately following the first anniversary of the date that the
19 student graduated from high school or, if the student joins the United States Armed
20 Forces within one year after graduating from high school, has enrolled in an eligible
21 college or university as a first-time freshman not later than the semester, excluding
22 summer semesters or sessions, immediately following the fifth anniversary of the
23 date that the student graduated from high school; however, effective for the 1996-
24 1997 school year and thereafter, if, on or prior to the fifth anniversary of the date that
25 the student graduated from high school, the student reenlists in the United States
26 Armed Forces and maintains continuous active duty, the five-year period shall be
27 extended to the semester immediately following the one-year anniversary of the
28 student's separation from active duty service. As distinguished from all other
29 students qualifying for this program, a student who meets the requirements of this
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1 Subparagraph shall be the recipient of an "Opportunity Award" for the purposes of
2 this program.
3 * * *
4 Z.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this Chapter to the contrary,
5 beginning with the 2016-2017 award year, the amount awarded by the state to
6 a student who is the recipient of any award granted pursuant to this Chapter
7 shall be equal to the award amount paid for the 2015-2016 award year at the
8 postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled.
9 (2)(a) Beginning with the 2016-2017 award year, the legislature may, by
10 law, increase the amount awarded by the state at a postsecondary institution in
11 any given award year to a student who is the recipient of any award granted
12 pursuant to this Chapter.
13 (b) Any increase in award amounts at a postsecondary institution
14 granted by the legislature pursuant to this Paragraph shall be established as the
15 minimum amount to be awarded to a student who is the recipient of any award
16 granted pursuant to this Chapter, subject to any limitations on award amounts
17 otherwise imposed by this Chapter.
18 (c) In no case shall the amount awarded to a student who is the recipient
19 of any award pursuant to this Chapter be less than the amount paid for the
20 previous award year at the postsecondary institution in which the student is
21 enrolled, subject to any limitations on award amounts otherwise imposed by this
22 Chapter.
23 (3) The award amounts as provided in this Subsection shall be exclusive
24 of any additional amounts awarded to students who receive a Performance
25 Award or an Honors Award.
26 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
27 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
28 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
29 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
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1 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
SB 48 Engrossed 2015 Regular Session Donahue
With respect to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), present law provides
that a student, among other eligibility criteria, must have a composite ACT score equal to
or higher than the state average composite score, rounded to the nearest whole number,
reported for the previous year, but never less than 20 or an equivalent value on the SAT in
order to receive a TOPS Opportunity award.
Proposed law retains the requirement that a student have a minimum ACT score equal to or
greater than the state average, truncated to a whole number, but never less than 20.
Present law provides as follows relative to the amount awarded to TOPS recipients of
Opportunity, Performance, or Honors awards:
(1)For a recipient who attends a La. public college or university to pursue an academic
undergraduate degree or skill or occupational training, the award amount is an
amount determined by the La. Student Financial Assistance Commission (LASFAC)
to equal the tuition charged by the college or university attended.
(2)For a recipient who attends an eligible state nonpublic college or university, the
award amount is an amount determined by LASFAC to equal the weighted average
amount of amounts paid for students attending public colleges and universities that
offer academic undergraduate degrees at the baccalaureate level or an amount
determined by LASFAC to equal the weighted average of amounts paid for students
attending public colleges and universities who are enrolled in permitted skill or
occupational training.
(3)For a recipient who is eligible to use the award at an out-of-state nonpublic college
or university to pursue an academic undergraduate degree, the award amount is an
amount determined by LASFAC to equal the weighted average of amounts paid for
students attending La. public colleges and universities that offer academic
undergraduate degrees.
(4)For a student who is the recipient of an Opportunity, Performance, or Honors award
who enrolls in a cosmetology school registered by the La. State Board of
Cosmetology or a proprietary school licensed by the Board of Regents, the award
amount is equal to the amount determined by the LASFAC to equal the weighted
average of amounts for students attending public colleges and universities who are
enrolled in the permitted skill or occupational training.
(5)Provides an additional $200 per semester, or $400 per academic year, to a recipient
of a Performance Award, and provides an additional $400 per semester, or $800 per
academic year, to a recipient of an Honors Award.
Relative to the amount of a TOPS-Tech Award, present law provides as follows:
(1)For a recipient who attends an eligible La. public college or university that does not
offer an academic undergraduate degree at the baccalaureate level or higher to pursue
permitted skill or occupational training, the award amount equals the actual cost of
tuition.
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(2)For a recipient who attends any other eligible postsecondary education institution,
the award amount equals the amount determined by LASFAC to equal the weighted
average of amounts paid for students attending public institutions who are enrolled
in the permitted skill or occupational training.
Proposed law provides that, beginning with the 2016-2017 award year:
(1)The amount awarded by the state to a student who is the recipient of any TOPS
award shall be equal to the award amount established for each respective award at
the postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled for the 2015-2016
award year.
(2)The legislature may, by law, increase the amount awarded at a postsecondary
institution in any given award year to a student who is the recipient of any TOPS
award.
(3)Any increase in award amounts at a postsecondary institution granted by the
legislature shall be established as the minimum amount to be awarded to a student
who is the recipient of any TOPS award, subject to any limitations on award amounts
otherwise imposed by present law.
(4)The amount awarded to a student who is the recipient of any TOPS award shall not
be less than the amount paid for the previous award year at the postsecondary
institution in which the student is enrolled, subject to any limitations on award
amounts otherwise imposed by present law .
(5)Retains payment of the supplemental amounts established in present law for a
recipient of a Performance or Honors award.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(b)(i); adds R.S. 17:3048.1(Z))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Clarifies the method of calculating the state average composite ACT score.
2. Clarifies that TOPS award amounts are tied to the amount awarded at the
postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled.
3. Specifies that award amounts may be limited by other provisions of present
law.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.