Tuition fees for Academics

[CajunDreDog]

Ironically, tonight on WBRZ news in Baton Rouge they are doing a story on TOPS in the state of LA.
http://www.wbrz.com/videos/the-tops-...tonight-at-10/

Thanks to the Internet, here is the story that WBRZ aired last night on TOPS in LA.
http://www.wbrz.com/videos/the-tops-...-it-or-waste-/

[Turbine]

Thanks to the Internet, here is the story that WBRZ aired last night on TOPS in LA.
http://www.wbrz.com/videos/the-tops-...-it-or-waste-/

"But thousands of students waste some of that money every year because they lose the TOPS Scholarship"

Waste is right but he money goes somewhere, with proper accounting this could also be read one of two other ways.
1) Louisiana Universities end up with a surplus every year because some students lose their TOPS Scholarship.
2) The State of Louisiana ends up with a surplus every year because some students lose their TOPS Scholarship.

[Just1More]

"But thousands of students waste some of that money every year because they lose the TOPS Scholarship"

Waste is right but he money goes somewhere, with proper accounting this could also be read one of two other ways.
1) Louisiana Universities end up with a surplus every year because some students lose their TOPS Scholarship.
2) The State of Louisiana ends up with a surplus every year because some students lose their TOPS Scholarship.

I think the concept is that anyone qualifying in the first place should be capable of retaining that scholarship. Money given to a student that cannot complete college... is a waste of taxpayer money. You never ever do what our current federal government implies regarding jobs and money circulation in the economy... "create jobs". You find ways to reward "productivity" and money and jobs will follow.

In reality, the percentages aren't that alarming to me. However, this money is substantial to this state and to keep this program alive, it needs to be administered more intelligently.

[SlappyCajun]

I think they should make it a hybrid system. Raise the standards but keep some slightly lower standards for a need based component.

[cajun4life]

Tops should be eliminated, period. There are other options that are out there for free tuition such as the National Guard or the Reserves. Plus they pay you to go to school and instill discipline and a sense of self worth by serving for something much larger than yourself.

[raoul]

Or better yet----Pay tuition REIMBURSEMENT after attainment of a satisfactory grade report at the end of each semester.

[Just1More]

I think they should make it a hybrid system. Raise the standards but keep some slightly lower standards for a need based component.

Shouldn't a totally separate "grant system" be in place for financial hardship? There are more issues than strictly an "under-qualified" student getting TOPS and not being qualified to keep it. Some high schoolers can make decent grades in high school and simply not move on to the "collegiate lifestyle" without floundering. That percentage failure may be hard to eradicate.

One thing I'd like to see is... is there a direct coorelation to the ACT and other entrance criteria and at what level students do not maintain their TOPS? In other words, is a 30 composite ACT and above graduating at 96%, a 29 composite at 87%, down to a 24 composite at 33% (to evaluate a new cut-off?). And what is the correlation with ACT score and their selection of major? There may be too many guidance councelors allowing an average student selecting too hard of a major. Are their math and science ACT scores good enough for them to select a math/science major?

If you are asking for TOPS money, you shouldn't just get to go try out whatever major your heart desires if your mind can't keep up.

[Just1More]

Tops should be eliminated, period. There are other options that are out there for free tuition such as the National Guard or the Reserves. Plus they pay you to go to school and instill discipline and a sense of self worth by serving for something much larger than yourself.

I think certain individuals should be given no other option. You really dislike the entire TOPS program?

[Just1More]

Or better yet----Pay tuition REIMBURSEMENT after attainment of a satisfactory grade report at the end of each semester.

That is almost akin to having them have to pay it back. It's a pretty severe alternative and should only come into play if we cannot make the current system achieve higher results.

[SlappyCajun]

Shouldn't a totally separate "grant system" be in place for financial hardship? There are more issues than strictly an "under-qualified" student getting TOPS and not being qualified to keep it. Some high schoolers can make decent grades in high school and simply not move on to the "collegiate lifestyle" without floundering. That percentage failure may be hard to eradicate.

One thing I'd like to see is... is there a direct coorelation to the ACT and other entrance criteria and at what level students do not maintain their TOPS? In other words, is a 30 composite ACT and above graduating at 96%, a 29 composite at 87%, down to a 24 composite at 33% (to evaluate a new cut-off?). And what is the correlation with ACT score and their selection of major? There may be too many guidance councelors allowing an average student selecting too hard of a major. Are their math and science ACT scores good enough for them to select a math/science major?

If you are asking for TOPS money, you shouldn't just get to go try out whatever major your heart desires if your mind can't keep up.

Yeah. I can't disagree with this. It seems like we should have enough data in place by this point to make some determinations.