The legislative task force charged with re-examining the TOPS scholarship program in Louisiana approved a package of changes Wednesday.
The task force had nine potential changes to TOPS in front of them, but they didn’t vote on those changes individually.
Instead, the task force is leaving it up to the full Legislature to decide how - or if - to change the scholarship program. Members voted unanimously to send the nine proposals as part of one package of recommended changes. Senator Blade Morrish (R-Jennings) says this will give the Legislature a place to start.
“We understand that maybe some of these may be combined into one, we understand that some of these proposals may be changed in the legislature, but that these are going to be the focus,” said Morrish.
A few of the recommendations deal with how to fund TOPS, especially if the Legislature doesn’t fully fund the program. One of the bigger changes would alter the award amounts to students, giving more money to those with the best grades, while lowering the amount for those who meet the basic requirements - a 2.5 core high school GPA and a 20 on the ACT.