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Started By
Message
re: Why do Louisiana conservatives like TOPS?
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:36 am to SaintsnTigers1
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:36 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:$400 stipend/semester maximum for some "honors" TOPS recipients for books and fees only if a student is a top achiever and receives the upper level Honors TOPS award which the 'baseline' TOPS award does not include.
many ARE receiving checks to cover things over the cost of education, such as housing.
TOPS funding CANNOT BE USED FOR ROOM AND BOARD. It is for tuition.
quote:
“TOPS is by no means covering the cost to go to school,” said Sujuan Boutte.
The baseline TOPS scholarship only pays for the cost of tuition.
When room and board, books, and supplies are added in, students are still left with a substantial price tag. Fees are also not covered by TOPS. As state lawmakers have cut college budgets over the past decade, university leader have boosted fees to help make up the difference.
“The state is now paying one-third of the costs, and the students are paying two-thirds of the cost. And we're trying to help the students by giving them state money to overcome the two-thirds,” said James Callier, executive director of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
LINK
A student can receive an additional scholarship for room and board such as an Alumni Scholarship at LSU through the Alumni Association.
They certainly aren't buying cars with TOPS money as you claimed earlier in this thread.
Don't double down on stupidity.
This post was edited on 6/25/18 at 11:00 am
1
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:50 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:I'm getting tired of arguing with your ignorance about TOPS such as "I know a guy who bought a car with TOPS money."
as opposed to giving TOPs to most of whom who would go to college anyway.
The TOPS program was designed in the 1980's to keep the higher performing students from leaving the state for their undergraduate degrees.
It was NEVER designed just to pay for students "who would go to college anyway." Sure, those students would go to college anyway but they would go out of state for their undergraduate degrees likely never to return to Louisiana for their careers.
Its purpose was to slow the "brain drain" out of Louisiana.
quote:No, it's not. A social program is not merit based. TOPS is.
It's still a social program
I'm sorry you or your children didn't qualify for TOPS. My children did and TOPS kept them in state graduating from LSU rather than accepting some nice, but not full tuition scholarships, out of state, and now they have very good professional careers IN LOUISIANA and are paying taxes IN LOUISIANA.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:51 am to puse01
quote:
I’m going to guess that most feel like it’s an opportunity to get some of the $ back that they spent on their kids private education for K-12.
Bingo
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:51 am to LSURussian
Car payments can be made with $400..
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:52 am to LSURussian
Merit-based. What a laugh. You clearly don't know much about TOPs.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:53 am to LSURussian
It's people like you that want a free handout.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:53 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:
So, many ARE receiving checks to cover things over the cost of education, such as housing. I don't believe there are any 'checks and balances' to make sure it is actually spent on housing.
1. The only people who receive refunds are those with additional scholarships/grants and only up to the full cost of attendance. Like I said, even with an academic scholarship and the highest TOPS stipend, I was still out-of-pocket for textbooks most semesters.
2. Why would you need checks and balances? You can’t receive more than the cost of attendance, and attendance is already a requirement.
3. It’s irrelevant if you live on-campus. Those costs go to your fee bill. You only receive a refund once your fee bill is completely paid. With LSU pushing to require freshmen to live on-campus you won’t see very many folks receiving checks.
I don’t think the minuscule percentage of recipients receiving disbursements after their fee bills are paid are the issue here. The larger problem is students failing out or quitting after receiving TOPS funds. People with academic scholarships are already much more likely to graduate.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 10:59 am to lostinbr
The T in Tops stands for TX.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:05 am to cahoots
quote:
Just pointing out that TOPS does eliminate the need for our public universities to provide as many scholarships as they otherwise would. We'd have a massive problem if most kids had to pay full price because they'd get scholarship offers elsewhere. Long story short, it wouldn't result in a $300 million windfall.
That what foundations and fundraising are for.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:09 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:
Car payments can be made with $400..
nobody is getting “paid to go to school”. Here are cost of attendance numbers (academic year) from LSU’s website:
$11,374 (tuition & fees)
$16,082 (room and board)
$1,160 (books and supplies)
$28,616 (total)
Financial aid, at the lowest level of TOPS payout:
$7,463 (TOPS opportunity award)
$7,463 (total)
Financial aid with 4.0 high school GPA and 30 on the ACT:
$8,263 (TOPS performance award)
$2,000 (Academic Scholars Award - this is an LSU scholarship)
$10,263 (total)
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:10 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:I started a college fund for all of my kids within two months after they were born which was the soonest I could do it because they needed to have a social security number before I could open their brokerage account.
It's people like you that want a free handout.
By the time they graduated from high school their college accounts were enough to pay all of their college costs, including room and board, all the way through grad school.
By being excellent students at Baton Rouge Magnet High School they received TOPS for their tuition and a $400/semester stipend for books and fees.
So their college brokerage accounts paid for their dorm rooms and then their apartments after their freshman year.
When they graduated they still had enough money in their college account for a substantial down payment on their first house......IN LOUISIANA.
So go frick yourself if you think I've ever looked for a "free handout" from anyone. It's ignorant people like you who resent and are envious successful, intelligent people.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:10 am to LSUFanHouston
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:14 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:
Car payments can be made with $400..
Maybe you can buy a piece-of-junk car for $400 but my new cars have always cost much more than that.... It appears you think the $400 is $400/month. It's not. It's $400 per college semester for two semesters per calendar year for a total of $800/year.
You truly are clueless about TOPS. Maybe you should go back and ask your "I know a guy" guy about TOPS again.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:17 am to LSURussian
It's people like you who have no problem taking from the hard-working taxpayers of this state to support your children's education. Maybe you should move to a socialist European country. You'd fit right in.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:19 am to LSURussian
I know a whole lot more about TOPs than you'll ever know. And I know kids are getting $ over and above tuition costs and spending it on whatever.
This post was edited on 6/25/18 at 11:20 am
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:24 am to Lsujacket66
They are to stupid to see that if you do not have the infalstructure you will never bring the companies here which would employ college graduates.
One mfg which is a worldwide company once told me the reason why they do not come to Louisiana is the corrupt political climate and lack of infalstructure.
We just keep educating adults that eventually move out of state to work for companies who will never come to this state.
We also do not hold adults accountable for us paying for their education.
If they do not complete the symester they are not required to pay the state back which is wrong.
I finished my obligation In the California National Guard 15 days before I graduated with my MBA and had to pay them back for my last sysmester.
One mfg which is a worldwide company once told me the reason why they do not come to Louisiana is the corrupt political climate and lack of infalstructure.
We just keep educating adults that eventually move out of state to work for companies who will never come to this state.
We also do not hold adults accountable for us paying for their education.
If they do not complete the symester they are not required to pay the state back which is wrong.
I finished my obligation In the California National Guard 15 days before I graduated with my MBA and had to pay them back for my last sysmester.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:34 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:
I know a whole lot more about TOPs than you'll ever know. And I know kids are getting $ over and above tuition costs and spending it on whatever.
Judging by this statement...
quote:
A student that receives TOPs in addition to other scholarships is allowed to keep the TOPs $ and receives a check from the state that can be used for anything, including a new car, parties, trip, etc..
... and the fact that you keep calling it “TOPs”, I doubt it.
But since you’ve been so adamant, please give me an example of any combination of scholarships and TOPS award at LSU and the amount of money it leaves in the student’s pocket after paying tuition, fees, textbooks, and room/board.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:40 am to lostinbr
I didnt read all of the pages, so SIAP. Im a supporter of TOPS, but like a lot said previously, it is abused. Minimum qualifications should be MUCH higher, especially the GPA portion. I believe when I graduated it was either 2.5 or 2.75...really? Also, in regards to investing in a student, then them leaving the state, there is a simple solution. In a similar manner to how some states will pay student loans if working in rural communities, or scholarships based on location after education, something similar should be implemented. If you choose to accept TOPS, you must stay and work in Louisiana for X years before moving. This would keep a lot of the talent, especially for higher levels of tops, in state.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:47 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:I would have to know nothing about TOPS for your statement to be true.
I know a whole lot more about TOPs than you'll ever know.
I've linked two different sources which have proven your statements about TOPS in this thread to be untrue.
quote:Back to your "I know a guy" sources again.....
And I know kids are getting $ over and above tuition costs and spending it on whatever.
I'm betting you're too ignorant about scholarships to know that there are other scholarships available in addition to TOPS and those scholarships do allow for college education expenses other than tuition. And that's what you keep calling "TOPS". Again, TOPS money goes directly to the university and is shown as a credit on the student's fee bill during registration. The student does not get a check sent directly to him in the amount of tuition for TOPS.
But TOPS funds can only be used for tuition and for books and fees in the case of the Honors TOPS $400/semester stipend.
Posted on 6/25/18 at 11:48 am to SaintsnTigers1
quote:That leaves you out.....
taking from the hard-working taxpayers of this state
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