By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Apr 25, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

Changing the TOPS college scholarship program would be like changing the recipe for Coca-Cola, a lobbyist told lawmakers Thursday.

It is best not to tinker with a classic, said Robert Baumann, the lobbyist.

The Senate Education Committee agreed with him, deciding to shelve legislation that would turn the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students into a loan forgiveness program. TOPS is a merit-based scholarship.

Senate Bill 208 would have rewarded students who graduate from college by erasing their TOPS debt.

Students who did not maintain their grades or failed to graduate would have had to repay their TOPS money with interest.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rob Marionneaux, said the TOPS program offers little incentive for students to do well in college.

“Here’s a grant. Here’s your college tuition paid for free. But if you flunk out, there’s no penalty,” he said.

The result is state government flushes millions of dollars down the toilet, Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, said.

The Legislative Fiscal Office tracked a class of 17,862 students who received TOPS.

Of those, 34 percent lost their awards, mostly for failing to keep up the required number of course hours.

No one other than Marionneaux spoke in favor of the bill.

His measure drew a number of detractors.

Lee Faucette, of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said more than half of students who lose their TOPS award stay in school anyway.

The bill could change that, he said.

“To make them pay it back, I think that would violate the commitment we’ve made to them,” Faucette said.

Baumann was at the State Capitol on behalf of Taylor Energy Co., the New Orleans oil and gas company founded by the late Pat Taylor. Taylor is often credited with creating the concept of TOPS.

A number of factors can lead to students not doing as well in college as they did in high school, Baumann said.

Their parents may divorce or die, he said.

TOPS also benefits students with limited financial means, Baumann said.

It would be unfair to saddle impoverished students with the obligation of repaying their TOPS money, he said.

“I ask you to defer this bill,” Baumann said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said TOPS seems to be working the way it is.

Marionneaux agreed, but he said students should have to be cognizant of the fact if they don’t pass, they have to pay back the money.

Marionneaux said he went to LSU and Southern University Law Center knowing he had student loans to pay regardless of whether he graduated.

Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Covington, said he has watched some of his six children struggle through college.

Donahue said he evaluated the bill on its merits.

The best result would be the state would save money, he said.

The worst result would be that students’ lives would be messed up, he said.

The committee deferred SB208 — tantamount to rejection — without opposition.

Marionneaux voluntarily shelved another bill dealing with TOPS.

Senate Bill 209 would have limited TOPS to applicants whose parents’ income is less than $250,000 a year.

Marionneaux said he did so because of the consternation over it.

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