The Louisiana House rejects a bill that would have required some TOPS recipients to pay back their scholarships if they lost them as a result of poor grades or not taking the required number of courses. Baton Rouge Representative Edmond Jordan could not figure how they would pay it back, since the scholarship money goes directly to the school.
“You’re not going to tell us who’s going to collect it. You don’t know the cost associated with it. You don’t know if they’re going to be reported to the credit bureau. You don’t know what the interest rates will be for payment. You don’t know if their wages are going to be garnished,” Jordan said.
The measure failed on a 38-62 vote.
Bossier City Representative Dennis Bamburg says he’s looking after taxpayer dollars with his legislation.
“All I’m trying to do with this bill is look after a $320+ million expenditure, from this body, but to watch out for taxpayer money. That’s what this is all about,” Bamburg said.
Bamburg had exemptions in the bill, where TOPS recipients would not have to pay their scholarships back if they lost them while also dealing with significant life challenges, like a death of an immediate family member. He also gave the option for a student to go to a technical school instead, with the state still paying for the tuition.
But Baton Rouge Representative Barbara Freiberg says no other scholarship asks for the money back if a student fails to keep it.
“We don’t ask students who get scholarships, outside of TOPS, at universities, to pay back those scholarships,” Freiberg noted.