re: Louisiana should eliminate TOPS, Free up Budget

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The problem I have with TOPS is that they are awarding average students. Raise the requirements some so it is actually a rewards for hard work.

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This! Scoring 17 out of a possible 36 is not "TOPS", in fact it is pretty damn bad if you compare that score to any regular test.

I knew some pretty less than average students when I was in school that made way above 17. I would think that score should be attainable by a low C student.

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You are literally to dumb to insult. First of all, that is one of the biggest race-baiting articles I've ever seen. Want to know why more white people get TOPS? Because they EARN it while they are in high school. TOPS does not look at the color of the persons skin when deciding if they should receive the scholarship or not. Instead, TOPS looks at the achievements of that student. What should be done with TOPS is raising the requirements to receive the scholarship. TOPS wasn't designed for everyone to go to college. It was designed for those who work hard and are the smartest in the state to have incentive to go to in state schools. TOPS shouldn't be so easy to get coming out of high school. College isn't for everyone, TOPS shouldn't be either. It should only be for those individuals who have earned it regardless of their skin color and their parents socio-economic standing.

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The other step would be that no college with a four year graduation rate below 30% is eligible to receive funds from the program. Let's not reward failing institutions and incentivize students to pick programs with higher student outcomes.

I feel too that TOPS needs a massive overhaul but for a different reason. It's little more than a money laundering scheme for universities. It takes money that is generated through the state budget and artificially increases the amount of high paying customers for universities who are able to compete for these customers in a reduced competition pool. Students pay an artificially inflated price for the tuition because it is so subsidized by the state.
If the state were to cut or reduce TOPS the universities themselves would be hardest hit and would be forced to cut unnecessary programs to make themselves more attractive to people looking for practical education, they would have to set tuition rates to more competitively position themselves, and they would have to live within their means. Ultimately, students would benefit from a more appropriately priced university system.
Additionally, those who went to college would be making a commitment as the money wiuld be coming from them not the state.

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So at a time where our state has no cash, let's decrease disposable income by $6800/student. I

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The cash is coming out of our pocket anyway through taxes. Let people attending college or their parents pay the bills.

There are way too many unprepared students receiving TOPS. It is a waste of money and my taxes should not pay for kids to screw off.

Raising standards would help but a reimbursement system, like many large employers have, may be better. Students receive the benefits at the end of each successful semester. If you fail to earn the credit-hours or required GPA, you get nothing.

If you can't afford to pay upfront, loans are available and you pay them back with the reimbursement.

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The average household income for students who received the free college aid during the same time period ranged from $70,000 to $99,000 — far above Louisiana’s median household income of $44,164.

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This statistic wreaks. If you have a family of 4 (for example) do you honestly think that $70,000-$90,000 a year is a lot of money? And you're comparing that to Louisiana's median income of $44,164..

Ridiculous.

frick you. TOPS is one of the things Louisiana got right and was meant to stem the brain drain. It was started by a great man who believed in educating Louisana students, and he'd be pissed to hear stupid shite like what you're suggesting. The fact that politicians are too shitty to handle the budget doesn't mean this great program should be cut.

The middle class is the biggest beneficiary from the TOPS program

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If that is the case then why are the standards so low to receive TOPS benefits. Most of the people receiving TOPS don't even qualify for academic scholarships.

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Because legislators changed the GPA down when they moved to a core GPA. The core GPA basically does the culling that a higher GPA would do since it requires classes that lower achievers don't take. That being said, the core GPA can and should be raised to help the program remain viable.