2019 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 10
BY SENATOR BISHOP
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Board of Regents to study the need for and feasibility of updating
Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) reporting requirements to include
data on scholarship recipients' employment outcomes and other relevant data points.
WHEREAS, TOPS has often been cited as a program geared to keep the state's best
and brightest in state for their postsecondary education, with the expectation that they will
remain in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, the number of students receiving TOPS has more
than doubled and the cost for the program has increased almost sixfold; and
WHEREAS, legislators need information regarding TOPS recipients in order to make
programmatic decisions to ensure state appropriations are being spent in a manner that
benefits all citizens of the state; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 17:5067 requires the Board of Regents to formulate, develop, and
implement a TOPS information reporting system for the purposes of policy analysis and
program evaluation; and
WHEREAS, Act 671 of the 2018 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature
clarified that the Department of Revenue is not prohibited from sharing taxpayer information
for the purpose of determining the employment and residency status of past TOPS recipients;
and
WHEREAS, information regarding the status of TOPS recipients after exiting
postsecondary education, including residency, employment status, the employing industry
sectors, and changes in household income, may help legislators make informed decisions
regarding TOPS; and
WHEREAS, with the wealth of student information harvested by the Board of
Regents, understanding how certain factors relate to TOPS degree attainment, such as
time-to-degree, and living on- or off-campus during college, could lead to solid policy
recommendations to enhance TOPS.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby request the Board of Regents to study the need for and feasibility of updating
Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) reporting requirements to include data on
scholarship recipients' employment outcomes and other relevant data points.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be submitted to the
chair of the Board of Regents and the commissioner of higher education.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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