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)]
HB 279 Original 2016 Regular Session Broadwater
Abstract: Provides for differential TOPS award amounts based on a student's classification level
and requires that a percentage of generated savings be appropriated for the La. GO Grant
program.
Present law provides for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) as a program of merit
scholarships for students attending certain postsecondary education institutions who meet specific
initial eligibility requirements, including academic requirements pertaining to grade point average,
ACT score, and core curricula. Provides for Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards and the
TOPS-Tech Award and that award amounts vary depending on the award and the type of college or
university in which a student enrolls.
Present law provides, relative to award amounts for Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Awards,
that at a La. public institution, the award amount is equal to the tuition charged by the institution,
and at a La. nonpublic institution, the award amount is equal to the weighted average of amounts
paid for students attending La. institutions that offer academic undergraduate degrees at the
baccalaureate level.
Proposed law retains present law for students graduating from high school prior to the 2019-2020
school year, but, applicable to students graduating during or after that school year, provides
differential award amounts for freshmen and sophomores, as follows:
(1)For freshmen, 80% of present law award amount.
(2)For sophomores, 90% of present law award amount.
Present law provides, relative to TOPS-Tech Award amounts, that at a public institution that does
not offer an academic undergraduate degree at the baccalaureate level, the amount is equal to the
tuition charged by the institution. For other eligible institutions, the amount is equal to the weighted
average of amounts paid to students attending an eligible public institution that does not offer an
academic undergraduate degree at the baccalaureate level.
Proposed law retains present law for students graduating from high school prior to the 2019-2020
school year, but, applicable to students graduating during or after that school year, provides
differential award amounts for students who have completed fewer than 24 credit hours, as follows:
(1)For students who have completed fewer than 12 credit hours, 80% of present law award amount.
(2)For students who have completed at least 12 but fewer than 24 credit hours, 90% of present
law award amount.
Proposed law, notwithstanding the differential award amounts provided in proposed law, grants
freshman and sophomore recipients of Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Awards and TOPS-
Tech recipients who have completed fewer than 24 hours the option of deferring receipt of their
awards. If such a student maintains TOPS eligibility, the award amount shall be paid to him at the
end of the award year, and the award amount shall be as follows:
(1) If he maintains a 3.00 GPA, the amount shall be as otherwise provided in present law.
(2)If he fails to maintain a 3.00 GPA, the amount shall be the percentage based on his
classification as provided in proposed law.
Proposed law further requires, beginning with the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the legislature to
appropriate 25% of any savings attributable to proposed law implementation for the purpose of
increasing funding for the La. GO Grant program. Requires, beginning in 2019, the Legislative
Fiscal Office annually to issue a fiscal and economic impact statement on Dec. 1st documenting the
projected savings for the ensuing fiscal year. Requires the Legislative Fiscal Officer to forward this
annual statement to the commissioner of administration for use in developing the budgets for TOPS
and the La. GO Grant program. Provides that the monies appropriated for the La. GO Grant program
pursuant to proposed law shall not displace, replace, or supplant the average amount of the monies
appropriated for the program for the three most recent fiscal years.
(Amends R.S. 17:5002(B) and (D)(1)(intro. para.) and (2); Adds R.S. 17:5002.1)