LSU Systems President John Lombardi is taking every action he can to eliminate the TOPS program for Louisiana students.In an article released by the Associated Press on Monday, Lombardi is stated to regularly study the cars in student parking lots at the various LSU system campuses across the state. He says, “There is hardly a car out there with a value less than $25,000. So now that means that there are a significant number of students who attend LSU who are capable of paying a higher tuition rate rather than buying a fancy car.”How can someone who observes a student lot on campus make the claim that most of the cars are luxury and, in that case, can pay a higher tuition rate? I have been parking in student lots at LSU since the fall of 2005 and have never noticed a significant number of luxury cars. However, even if that were the case, how could someone say they are therefore capable of paying a higher tuition? How does Lombardi know they don’t share a car with a parent, or that they work full-time and go to school part-time? You can never accurately estimate an individual’s financial status by the car they drive. A student should not have an academic scholarship taken away on the sole basis of what’s perceived to be a high income made by their parents either. Instead, Lombardi should be studying what the student bodies of the LSU system campuses have to say in regards to this, as well as TOPS recipient hopefuls in high schools across the state. Personally, I know many students who remained in Louisiana because of TOPS, and there are also many who were able to afford additional education in graduate, medical or law school because they weren’t in a deep amount of debt from their undergraduate career.The TOPS program gives a boost to Louisiana students who have earned it, and eliminating the program would only decrease the higher level of academic potential Louisiana would lack regardless.
If the TOPS program is eliminated, could the funds possibly go to the state budget for salary increases? After all, students aren’t giving Lombardi heat for being the highest paid state employee and driving a “fancy” car, but maybe more students should be.Lorra A. BryantPublic administration graduate student–Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]