Shreveport Times

A majority of Louisiana’s students who receive merit-based scholarships through the state’s Taylor Opportunity Program for Students are from white and middle to upper class families, an analysis by the Board of Regents shows.

According to the report, released December 2015, 75 percent of students who received the awards in 2014 were white, with a majority coming from families who make at least $70,000 in annual income.

The data sample excluded 2,520 individuals who did not report their race and 10,392 individuals were not included in the statewide analysis on income because they did not report it.

Since 2005, the state has paid more than $1.9 billion in awards through TOPS. Students who earn a GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 20 are eligible.

According to the Board, TOPS recipients are increasingly coming from middle and upper income families. Since 2005, the number of TOPS recipients that came from households with incomes of $150,000 or more has more than doubled, whereas the number of recipients from lower income households has remained relatively stagnant over time.

In 2014, about 17 percent of the total award recipients were black. Hispanic students made up 3.5 percent of the total, Asian students made up 3 percent, and American Indian recipients were less than 1 percent.

More than 58 percent of the recipients had a parental annual income over $70,000, while almost 20 percent came from homes whose income was $150,000 or more.

The University of Louisiana system receives the most TOPS award funding at 53 percent. The Louisiana State University system receives 33.5 percent, followed by private institutions at 7.1 percent, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System at 4.8 percent and the Southern University System at 1.3 percent.

The average composite score of TOPS recipients was 24 in 2014, compared to the statewide average of 19.2. The average GPA was 3.35.

Since 2005, more than 132,000 students – an estimated 90 percent of those who accepted TOPS awards – enrolled in postsecondary education.

The average ACT composite and GPA scores also increased over the years, and 77 percent of students with TOPS awards graduated from a four-year institution in 2011 – compared to 54 percent of students without TOPS benefits who enrolled.

TOPS expenditures have increased 296 percent since 1999. The Board attributes the growth to the increase in the number of students receiving the award and the increasing tuition price at the state's universities.

The Board of Regents, required by Act 1202 of the 2001 Regular Legislative Session, is charged with providing data and statistics relative to the program’s impact on the state and students. Since 2014, the Board has been required to provide demographic information of award recipients.

2014 TOPS recipient demographics, race

Race / recipients

Other / 140

American Indian / 139

Asian / 502

Hispanic / 548

African American / 2,685

White / 11,773

Total / 15,787

2014 TOPS recipient demographics, income

Income / recipients

$0-14,999 / 948

$15,000-24,999 / 1,205

$25,000-34,999 / 1,098

$35,000-49,999 / 1,486

$50,000-69,999 / 1,589

$70,000-99,999 / 2,560

$100,000-129,999 / 2,175

$130,000-149,999 / 1,027

$150,000+ / 3,014

Total sample: 15,102