Governor John Bel Edwards Wants to Control Rising Cost of TOPS

Governor John Bel Edwards supports legislation passed out of a Senate committee that attempts to control the cost of the TOPS scholarship program. One of the bills would cap the amount a TOPS recipient receives at next year’s level and it stays there even if tuition rises. Edwards says it’s a bill he voted for as a legislator last year and he favors its passage this year.

Those tuition increases have grown the cost of that program, quite frankly, where it's not sustainable. And so it seems that the very least thing we should do is separate the cost of TOPS from future tuition increases.

Edwards is planning to call lawmakers into another special session to try to close the $750 million dollar budget gap that we face between now and July 1st.

Edwards adds: "There will not be the full 240 million to fully fund it. We just don't have it. If we raise more revenue as I told you I expect to do in a second special session, I would love to fully fund TOPS."