A bill to increase the grade-point average to qualify for a four-year TOPS award is headed to the Senate – but not without some controversy along the way.
“I’m trying to tighten up the requirements to help on the financial side,” Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil told the full House Tuesday. “And I’m trying to raise the bar to give kids the incentive to do a little bit better in school.”
“Does your bill affect any kid on TOPS right now?” New Roads Representative Major Thibaut asked.
“It does not,” Foil said. “If you’re in college or even in high school right now, it would have absolutely no effect. It’s 2.75 in the year 2021.”
“How much money does this save us?” Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox wanted to know.
“It’s a range, from as low as $3.2 million to maybe $7.5 million.”
But New Orleans Representative Joseph Bouie noted those savings also come at a cost – to the students with GPAs between the currently required 2.5 and the new target of 2.75.
“It actually takes away from 1,847 students – takes away their opportunity. Almost all of those kids are below the poverty line,” Bouie said of the estimated numbers who won't be able to qualify under the new parameters.
“There’s still the TOPS Tech award to go to a community college or technical school, which only requires a 2.5 still,” Foil responded.
New Orleans Representative Gary Carter asked for – and received – an amendment.
“My amendment would take any savings achieved by your legislation -- be it $3.2-million, be it $7.5-million – and dedicate those funds to the GO Grant awards,” Carter offered.
(GO Grants are the needs-based assistance offered by the state, which usually struggle for funding, and typically average less than $300 per student, per year.)
“I’m not going to object to the amendment at this point,” Foil stated, and the Speaker announced, “Without objection, the amendment is adopted.”
Not long after, though, Foild withdrew the bill from debate, temporarily. When he brought the bill back a half-hour later, he offered an amendment to strip Carter's amendment from the bill. The House agreed, then went on to approve the bill, 53-32.