As Louisiana House lawmakers work to craft their version of next year’s budget, House leaders say the main focus is on protecting the state’s TOPS free college tuition program from cuts.
To help close a $600 million gap, The Associated Press reports Gov. John Bel Edwards proposed to provide only about one-third of the approximately $300 million needed to fully cover tuition costs for all eligible students in the financial year that begins July 1.
About $183 million more would be needed to fully fund the program, which is highly popular, particularly among middle class voters around the state.
“TOPS is a priority for a majority of the members,” said Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, agreed, saying lawmakers in his chamber were most heavily concerned about the college tuition aid program—and also the privatization deals for the LSU hospitals and clinics that provide safety net services for the poor.
Uncertainty about the financing for TOPS has caused angst among students and parents for months, and lawmakers say they have been inundated with concerns from their constituents. College students already on TOPS and high school students expecting to get the aid aren’t sure how much they’ll receive and now are having to work on contingency plans.
Henry said his committee, which will unveil its 2016-17 budget recommendations on Monday, intends to deepen proposed cuts across other state agencies, such as the health department, to protect TOPS.
“We’re reallocating money across the state from all agencies and departments to make sure that TOPS is funded and other priorities are met,” he said Thursday.
Barras was a bit more cautious: “We will get TOPS to a reasonable level, if not all the way there.”
It wasn’t yet clear where House lawmakers propose to cut in the health department or other agencies.
In Edwards’ budget proposal, the Department of Health and Hospitals already was short the money needed to pay for safety net services for the poor. Safety net hospitals and clinics in Bogalusa, Lake Charles, Alexandria and Houma would be left without financing under the governor’s plan, threatening them with closure.
