Would you pay a little more for a soft drink or glass of wine if it meant paying someone’s college tuition? Maybe a beer could help send you or your kid to college for free.
The USA Today Network of Louisiana reports that’s one idea Charles McDonald, lead author of the original Taylor Opportunity Program for Students bill in 1997, has when it comes to tweaking Louisiana’s most popular scholarship program.
Now a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents, McDonald says Louisiana he is committed to helping with that.
“Is it perfect? No,” he says. “Does it need tweaking? Yes. We will do that to make it stronger.”
The scholarship program turns 20 this summer, and it’s back before the Legislature as the state struggles to fund it.
“We need to come up with a permanent funding source for TOPS, so we never have to worry about it going away,” he says.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ initial budget proposal for 2017-18 funded about 70% of TOPS, similar to what students received this year. But the program is expected to be fully funded next year after the House moved money from health care.
Over the last 20 years, TOPS has helped more than 290,770 students pay for school. According to a recent Board of Regents report, 51,590 students received tuition payments in 2015-16.
“To have 50,000 students on TOPS is a wonderful thing if we can find money in the budget to fund it,” McDonald says. “Maybe the day is coming that we need to find another way to fund it, like a tax on sugar drinks, alcohol and other non-necessary things.”
