re: Why do Louisiana conservatives like TOPS?

Because the entire government of this state, and the vast bulk of the $$$$ it spends (i.e., takes from taxpayers), is geared towards a bunch of worthless fricking takers and those people that pay the freight want a little something for the effort.

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If you are against Tops, then you must be against public education in general.

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I think everyone on this board is against public education

It’s basically welfare for kids

Because I would rather fund students than institutions.

The middle class votes and they are the largest recipient of TOPS. As stated above, it is basically a tax rebate for voters. My personal take is that TOPS should be a tuition reimbursement program for those that pass with a 2.5 taking 12 hours minimum. I would allow a total of 5 calendar years of eligibility (some students may have to work full time during the summer in order to go with this system). I want an educated work force, but students need to have some skin in the game.

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A lot of those bright youth have no intention of returning that investment to the State of Louisiana and its people.

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That's because that opportunity does not exist

There aren't enough good paying white collar jobs to support every college graduate in LA. They go where the jobs are. I don't consider someone an a-hole for going to Houston instead of staying in LA if the difference in salary is 40%

TOPS could be a quality program if it did what it intended before the state took it over and help students with a financial need.

If TOPS wants to fix things it should
- have an income limit (only available to students whose parents make less than 100k a year)
- 3.5 GPA
- 24 ACT
- if you drop out you must repay the debt

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There aren't enough good paying white collar jobs to support every college graduate in LA.

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This. I am yet to meet a single TOPS recipient that graduated and left the state for any other reason than either:
A. there was no comparable job here compared to what they were offered out of state
B. Their SO that they met while in college was from out of state originally, so they're following them after graduation.

I want nothing more than to settle down with a good paying job in Baton Rouge or Gonzales, but there's basically no one hiring. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. whose economy shrunk 2 years in a row. The rest of the nation is growing and we're still wallowing in Recession.

Conservatives don't like it. it's a program that a socialist like Huey long would have loved. It basically buys votes. Kinda like when we blame farmers in Iowa taking ethanol subsidies.....

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It’s literally socialized education

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Nah. It is intended to be a reward to high school students who are achievers.

Its requirements need to be tightened but to be "socialized education" TOPS would have to be need based and not achievement based.

TOPS kept me in state, hands down.

They should increase requirements to decrease the taxpayer’s burden, but it should be a merit based scholarship independent of how much your parents make.