RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 44 (SB 71) 2017 Regular Session Donahue
Prior law provided for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), a program of
merit scholarships for students attending certain postsecondary education institutions who
meet specific academic criteria and other requirements for initial eligibility.
Prior law provided that the award amounts for a TOPS Opportunity, Performance, Honors,
or TOPS-Tech award shall be equal to the award amount paid for a student enrolled in a
public or nonpublic postsecondary institution during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Prior law also provided that:
(1)A student enrolled in a public college or university shall be awarded an amount equal
to the tuition charged by the public college or university during the 2016-2017
academic year.
(2)A student enrolled in a nonpublic college or university, a school of Cosmetology, or
an out-of-state college or university specifically designed to accommodate deaf and
hard-of-hearing students shall be awarded an amount equal to the weighted award
amount paid to students attending a public postsecondary institution during the 2016-
2017 academic year.
New law resolves the inconsistent terminology in prior law by providing that, unless
increased by the legislature:
(1)The amount of a TOPS award paid to a student enrolled in a public postsecondary
institution shall be equal to the tuition amount charged by the public college or
university during the 2016-2017 academic year.
(2)The amount of a TOPS award paid to a student enrolled in an approved nonpublic
college or university, a school of Cosmetology, or an out-of-state college or
university specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing students
shall be equal to the weighted average of the tuition amounts charged to students
attending public colleges and universities during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Prior law (R.S. 17:5041 and 5042), with respect to maintaining TOPS eligibility, contained
language that is inconsistent with other provisions of prior law and which indicated that
TOPS award amounts are equal to the current tuition charged, and not the tuition charged
during the 2016-2017 academic year.
New law deletes this inconsistent language.
Effective upon signature of the governor (June 3, 2017).
(Amends R.S. 17:5002(A)(2), (B), (D)(1)(b) and (2)(b), 5041(intro para), and 5042(intro
para))