A new report by the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana shows that the number of students receiving college tuition money through the state’s TOPS program is down for the third year in a row.
“There’s also a long-term demographic change in the state, where we’re losing population,” says Steven Procopio, PAR president.
As a result, the state is paying out less money through the program.
“If you go back and compare that to 2022, it’s a good chunk of change less,” says Procopio. “We were spending something along the lines of $314 million. Now it’s $270 (million).”
Under the program, students who achieve at least a 2.5 GPA and an ACT score of 20 receive get their tuition to any public college or university in Louisiana paid for.
It does not, however, pay for other expenses like room and board.
Procopio says the drop in the number of students participating in the TOPS program is no indication of how well the state is educating its students.
“In terms of participation and how well we’re doing, I think that has held relatively steady,” Procopio says. “I think the issue — I think we just have fewer people taking the exam (and, in effect) fewer people passing and getting the amount.”
Procopio says some qualifying students are declining to participate in the program, and there could be several reasons for that.
“That could be they went to school out of state, or they decided to go into the military or they just didn’t decide to go to school,” says Procopio. “Hopefully, that’s not people going to college and for whatever reason leaving money on the table.”
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