The Louisiana Board of Regents approved a report Wednesday on the TOPS scholarship program in the state, measuring retention of student and total amount of money spent from 2004 to 2013.
According to the report, 91 percent of students who received TOPS awards accepted them, but 11-12 percent of them lost their eligibility after their freshman year. The data compiled showed 63 percent of students who lost their TOPS status in the time frame lost eligibility because they failed to meet the requirement of 24 credit hours per academic year.
The study also showed that students who receive TOPS graduate from college at 150 to 200 percent higher than students who do not have the scholarship, and from 2004 to 2013, 33 percent of students who received TOPS lost their scholarship, although the data did not include whether their scholarship was reinstated.
Board member Robert Levy mentioned concerns whether the $1.9 billion spent on TOPS since its institution in 1999 was worth it because students graduate and leave the state, a statistic the board agreed would be researched for the next report.
A new website offering resources to students looking for online degree programs was also launched.
LouisianaOnline.org was built as a part of the committee’s eLearning Task Force, the goal of which is to expand online education within the state. The website offers hybrid part-classroom, part-online or 100 percent-online degree program listings categorized by schools for students looking to enroll in online programs.
“Our main goal is to increase the number of students that enroll and complete online or hybrid programs at our public colleges and universities,” said Tom Layzell, senior adviser to the board.
Darlene Williams, eLearning Task Force chair, said the website would reach out to people who had only completed part of a degree, and it provides a pathway for prospective students to locate a program and contact the school.
Larry Tremblay, staff member for the Planning, Research and Performance Committee, said the website is a “one-stop shop” for students.
The board also approved a lease request for the LSU Women’s Gymnastics practice facility as well as various repairs on the University campus, including replacing flooring in Beauregard Hall and creating temporary offices and a gym floor for the UREC.