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 390 Original 2017 Regular Session Gary Carter
Abstract: Sets future TOPS award amounts at the level of 2017-2018 academic year award
amounts but provides that this limit does not apply to students meeting certain financial or
academic criteria; in the event of a funding shortfall, provides procedures for reducing or
eliminating awards based on such criteria.
Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), Generally
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 certain
academic and other qualifications. Provides for Opportunity, Performance and Honors Awards (eight
semesters) and TOPS-Tech Awards (two years).
Establishment of Baseline Award Amounts
Present law provides award amounts for Opportunity, Performance, and Honors awards:
Opportunity, Performance, or Honors Award
Institution Type Award Amount
La. public college or university Tuition charged by institution
La. nonpublic college or university Weighted average of amounts paid for
students attending La. public colleges and
universities that offer academic baccalaureate
degrees
Out-of-state college or university designed to
accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing
students
Weighted average of amounts paid for
students attending La. public colleges and
universities that offer academic undergraduate
degrees
Licensed cosmetology and proprietary schoolsWeighted average of amounts paid for
students attending public colleges and
universities for skill or occupational training
Present law provides for award amounts for a TOPS-Tech award: TOPS-Tech Award
Institution Type Award Amount
Public college or university that does not
offer an academic undergraduate degree at the
baccalaureate level
Tuition charged by institution
Other eligible college or university Weighted average of amounts paid for
students attending an eligible public college
or university that does not offer an academic
baccalaureate degree
Present law "decouples" TOPS award amounts from future tuition increases by fixing the award
amount for a given institution at the award amount paid for a student at that institution during the
2016-2017 academic year. (A pro rata cut reduced the awards for all students for the 2016-2017
academic year pursuant to present law; thus, the award amount paid during such academic year was
a reduced amount.)
Proposed law does the following:
(1)"Recouples" TOPS awards to future tuition amounts for students whose expected family
contribution (EFC) is no greater than twice the amount necessary to qualify for a Pell Grant
or whose ACT score is 30 or higher.
(2)TOPS awards and tuition increases remain decoupled for all other students, but proposed law
changes the academic year to which a student's award amount is tied from 2016-2017 to
2017-2018.
(3)Provides that the fixed amount is the actual award amount as defined by present law (see the
tables above) and not the amount paid and provides that weighted averages are those of
award amounts and not amounts paid.
Funding
Present law requires the legislature annually to appropriate funds sufficient to cover the costs of
TOPS awards. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires the administering agency, if the legislature appropriates insufficient money to
fully fund all awards, to equitably reduce the amount of award for each qualifying student by an
equal percentage on a pro rata basis (a "pro rata cut"), so that every student receives the award for
which he qualifies and the total amount of all awards in any award year does not exceed the funds
available.
Proposed law requires identification of each student whose EFC is no greater than twice the amount
necessary to qualify for a Pell Grant or whose ACT score is 30 or higher; such students are referred to as identified students. Provides for application of pro rata cuts to award amounts, as required by
present law, as follows:
(1)If funds are sufficient to fully fund awards for such identified students, other students are
subject to pro rata cuts.
(2)If funds are not sufficient to fully fund awards for such identified students, the identified
students are subject to pro rata cuts and awards are eliminated for other students.
(Amends R.S. 17:5002(A), (B), and (D) and 5065(D); Adds R.S. 17:5065(E))