Published: April 15, 2026
By: Sheridan White, LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE — A House committee advanced bills Tuesday that would study the return on investment of the TOPS scholarship program and potentially reclaim money from students who drop out or fail.
House Resolution 17, presented by Rep. Christopher Turner, R-Ruston, authorizes a study to determine whether or not TOPS is delivering enough value to justify the state’s $320 million annual price tag.
The study would bring together the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Economic Development and the Kathleen Blanco Public Policy Center. Using decades of data, the review would examine whether TOPS recipients remain in Louisiana, what they earn and whether they enter high-demand industries.
Lawmakers said the lack of a thorough evaluation has left major gaps in understanding the program’s true impact.
The timing is also significant. With Gov. Jeff Landry projecting potential job growth in the state, legislators want to ensure that education funding aligns with workforce needs.
Read more at The Advertiser.
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 
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