In a statement issued today, Gov. John Bel Edwards says there will be no more cuts to the state’s TOPS program this year and called for state government to “do better” when it comes to investing in Louisiana’s students, The Advertiser reports.
“When we leave our kids with more student debt than necessary, we’ve failed them,” Edwards says in a statement. “Going forward, it is my hope that we can restore funding to TOPS because too many students across the state are dependent upon the assistance it offers.
As The Advertiser reports, TOPS recipients will be eligible for only 41.8% of the total award for the spring semester.
Edwards criticized the Legislature’s decision this summer to “front load” TOPS, funding awards at nearly 100% in the fall with the hope that other revenue—largely from taxes—would become available to restore the program before spring. The strategy also was supposed to allow universities and families to look for other options to cover costs, like financial aid and grants.
“Today, as I said this summer, Louisiana’s budget problems are having a real impact on students and their families,” Edwards says. “The upcoming regular session in 2017 will give us another opportunity to stabilize Louisiana’s budget and invest in our children’s futures, and I’m asking the Legislature to work with me, so that Louisiana’s students are not left to shoulder the burden of our state’s financial problems.”
If left unaddressed, last year’s legislation would continue to impact students beyond this year. Act 28 from the 2016 session kept TOPS payments flat for upcoming years, unless the Legislature votes to increase the award amount in future sessions.
