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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – State lawmakers should consider making need-based changes to TOPS instead of raising academic minimums for the statewide scholarship program, according to a new study from the Cowen Institute at Tulane.

TOPS, or the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, has for years paid full tuition for students who meet certain academic guidelines and attend Louisiana colleges or universities. Income has not been a factor in awarding the scholarships.

But state lawmakers in Baton Rouge are considering sweeping changes to the program as a way to save money and plug a massive budget deficit.

The Legislature recently approved a bill that will place a cap on how much TOPS will pay for tuition, leaving any amount over that cap for families and students to pay out of pocket.

The Cowen Institute notes in the new study that raising some of the academic standards for the scholarship would disproportionately affect African-American students and students in New Orleans.

For example:

  • Raising the minimum qualifying GPA from 2.5 to 2.75 would have a greater impact in New Orleans than statewide: 28 percent fewer students in the city would be eligible, compared to 22 percent of students in Louisiana.
  • Increasing the minimum qualifying ACT score for the award to 21, which would reduce eligibility in New Orleans by 23 percent and statewide by 28 percent, would disproportionately affect African-American students. In New Orleans, 32 percent fewer African-American students would be eligible compared to 16 percent of Caucasian students; and statewide, 36 percent fewer African-American students compared to 25 percent of Caucasian students.

The scholarship was intended to help low-income students afford higher education, but according to the Cowen report, almost 40 percent of TOPS recipients come from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or more.

The report says limiting the scholarships to students of families with annual incomes of no more than $50,000 would reduce the annual cost of TOPS by at least two-thirds, saving a minimum of $180 million annually.

“Without TOPS, many of our best students could not afford college,” said Cowen Institute Executive Director Amanda Kruger Hill. “Even in a time of state budgetary constraints, college access for our youth should remain a moral and economic imperative for the long-term prosperity of our state.”

Read the full report from the Cowen Institute here.