Brock Sues / WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - LOSFA executive director Sujuan Boutte says it will resume payments of TOPS next Thursday for up to 80 percent of the students' award next week reversing course on a precautionary email sent by the agency Thursday that placed a temporary halt on the payments.

State suspends TOPS payments to colleges, universities

Boutte says the individual campuses will be responsible for absorbing the remaining 20 percent of the costs that LOSFA doesn’t have in their appropriation for the program.

Further implications for TOPS will depend largely on what happens on the outcome of upcoming special legislative sessions concerning the state budget crisis.

On Thursday, the State Office of Student Financial Assistance alerted universities in the state that they'd be suspending TOPS scholarship payments immediately in the face of possible budget cuts.

More details are expected from Boutte shortly.

Governor John Bel Edwards released the following statement around noon Friday:

“As I said last night, students on TOPS this semester will not see cuts. The universities will absorb the TOPS shortfall this year. Students will not receive any bills for this shortfall or lose any TOPS awards this semester.

"For this semester, LOSFA has only been able to pay universities 80% of students’ TOPS bills. This is due in part to the previous administration not budgeting properly for all the students who would be using TOPS this year. However, the budget problems created by the previous administration do have the potential to hurt students directly. Next year, as it stands, TOPS is only funded 25 percent, unless the legislature acts to change that. This means fewer TOPS scholarships will be awarded next year. That is why it is so important for the legislature to work with me to balance this budget and prevent future cuts to the TOPS Scholarship Program.”

Questions and Answers on TOPS

"Last night’s statewide address by Gov. John Bel Edwards illustrates the serious and complex nature of the state’s budget issues," said Dr. Randy Moffett, interim president of the University of New Orleans. "While we navigate these unprecedented conditions, I want to assure you that the University of New Orleans remains committed to our students, faculty and staff. How we proceed will be dictated by the guidance that we receive from the University of Louisiana System and the Board of Regents. While the situation is fluid, and will likely remain that way in the coming weeks, please know that we will do everything we can—whether it’s related to TOPS or possible budget reductions—to stand behind our students and employees, and their families. We will communicate with you as we learn more.