TOPS trouble for LSU & UNO
PLUS: Mailbag
The Louisiana Legislature will consider creating a flat rate for TOPS program scholarships, regardless of what school students attend. It would increase the out of pocket costs for LSU and University of New Orleans students.
Currently, the state sets the TOPS award amount that each university receives. House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, would decouple those rates from university tuition, meaning students would have to pay more out of pocket to attend more expensive universities but pay less at regional universities such as Nicholls and McNeese. It would create a significant decrease in TOPS revenue for LSU and UNO.
Turner’s bill would also create a new award level that would provide additional money to students who earn at least a 3.5 grade point average and a 31 out of 36 on the ACT college admissions test.
If Turner’s bill passes, the base-level amount, which approximately half of Louisiana TOPS students receive, would be $6,000 annually, TOPS Performance students, who have at least a 3.25 GPA and a 23 ACT score, would receive $6,500. TOPS Honors students, who have at least a 3.5 GPA and a 27 ACT score, would receive $9,000. The bill’s proposed TOPS Excellence award, the new highest amount, would be $12,000.
Because the current base TOPS level is above $6,500 at LSU and UNO, both institutions could lose millions in state funding under Turner’s plan, while most other schools in the state would see a boost. LSU’s nursing programs would also see a funding loss under the bill.
Turner said he and coauthor, House Education Chairwoman Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, worked with some of the state’s universities and the Board of Regents on the bill, which he said was intended to create fairness between the universities and to help keep high-performing students in the state.
“It wasn’t fair to give this university more and not the other one,” Turner said in an interview. “All the institutions would be treated equally.”
You asked, I answered
What does the budget look like for higher ed this year? Because Constitutional Amendment 2 failed last month, lawmakers have less money to work with than they hoped. Gov. Landry asked each agency to present a standstill budget. Except for Southern, the systems had slight budget boosts due to increased tuition and fee revenue, but the state appropriation is actually reduced. Lawmakers may adjust the funding amounts, but probably not by much. Expect to see some one-time funding for university priorities. More reporting on that will come as the budget progresses. Read about the stand-still budget proposal here.
Will there be a faculty pay raise this year? Almost certainly not. Lawmakers are struggling to scrape together funds to prevent K-12 teachers from having a pay cut, and university faculty are far further down on the political priority list.
What are the big higher ed bills this year? Here are a few higher education bills to keep an eye on. More could be filed, but this is what has been pre-filed so far.
House Bill 24 by Rep. Tony Bacala incorporates most of the recommendations put forward by a Louisiana Board of Regents’ task force, which was created by a resolution Bacala sponsored in the 2024 legislative session. Read more.
House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, mentioned above
House Bill 275 by Rep. Stephanie Berault, which would allow students who go to undergrad out of state to use unused TOPS money on medical or dental school in Louisiana and House Bill 539 by Berault, which would create a student loan forgiveness programs for doctors who practice in rural areas
House Bill 421 by Rep. Emily Chenevert, which would ban DEI across state government
Senate Bill 202 by Sen. Jimmy Harris, which would transfer UNO to the LSU system.
Will there be a bill to ban tenure this year? None have been filed yet, but I will let y’all know asap if there is one filed.
Have more questions? DM me here or email me at phutchinson@lailluminator.com
What I’m reading
LSU Student Government Foret-Tatman: Forward campaign again disqualified by Election Court By Aidan Anthaume and Jason Willis | The Reveille (Background on the state legislators involved from me)
Proposed Louisiana law would expand definition of ‘coerced abortion’ By Lorena O’Neil |
LSU’s Livvy Dunne objects to potential landmark settlement. Here's what she said. By Wilson Alexander | Times-Picayune
Louisiana bill might thwart local public defenders fighting to keep their jobs By Julie O’Donoghue | Louisiana Illuminator
Pressed for evidence against Mahmoud Khalil, government cites its power to deport people for beliefs By Jeff Offenhartz | Associated Press
ULL shutters DEI office
The University of Louisiana Lafayette has shut down its Office of Campus Inclusion, the university announced Friday.
The closure was done “in compliance with a federal directive,” according to an email sent to university employees.
In February, President Donald Trump’s administration threatened to revoke federal funding from campuses that use race-conscious practices in admissions, programming, training, hiring, scholarships and other aspects of student life.
ULL spokesman Eric Maron said the office’s two employees will be moved to the University’s Office of Academic Affairs
What else?
Read this: Immigrants’ social media to be screened for ‘antisemitism,’ formalizing student deportations
House Education will meet Wednesday at 9:30 and is expected to discuss Turner’s TOPS bill