2015 report features data on TOPS recipients
Published 7:09 am Sunday, November 27, 2016
<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">What is the four-year average graduation rates for students that receive TOPS scholarship funds?</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Do the students have to repay the money if they do not finish or drop out of college before they graduate?</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Graduation is typically measured by calculating the rate at which first-time, full-time degree seeking students earn their academic degrees within 150% of the time required (i.e., within six years for baccalaureate degrees and within three years for associate degrees),” reads the Louisiana Board of Regents’ most recent report on the TOPS program.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“This 150% protocol was adopted by the federal government and has become the standard followed by the states.”</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The 150 percent graduation rates for Taylor Opportunity Program for Students recipients and non-recipients in baccalaureate degree programs for 2003-2009, according to the report, released in December 2015:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyListing">TOPS students</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2003 — 60 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2004 — 59 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2005 — 61 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2006 — 61 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2007 — 62 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2008 — 64 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2009 — 61 percent.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyListing">Non-TOPS students</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2003 — 25 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2004 — 25 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2005 — 29 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2006 — 30 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2007 — 32 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2008 — 33 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2009 — 33 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The rates for students in associate degree programs for 2004-2012:</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyListing">TOPS students</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2004 — 10 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2005 — 13 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2006 — 13 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2007 — 14 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2008 — 15 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2009 — 16 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2010 — 20 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2011 — 17 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2012 — 17 percent.</span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyListing">Non-TOPS students</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2004 — 4 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2005 — 5 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2006 — 5 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2007 — 5 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2008 — 5 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2009 — 4 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2010 — 5 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2011 — 4 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2012 — 4 percent.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">TOPS recipients by race and ethnicity for high school cohorts from 2005 to 2014, excluding 2,520 students who didn’t report their race, according to the report:</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2005 — Asian, 334; American Indian, 72; African-American, 1,873; white, 11,383; Hispanic, 182.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2006 — Asian, 364; American Indian, 57; African-American, 1,881; white, 11,412; Hispanic, 195.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2007 — Asian, 371; American Indian, 69; African-American, 1,831; white, 11,319; Hispanic, 187.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2008 — Asian, 374; American Indian, 67; African-American, 1,962; white, 11,448; Hispanic, 234.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2009 — Asian, 397; American Indian, 79; African-American, 2,072; white, 11,203; Hispanic, 237.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2010 — Asian, 412; American Indian, 79; African-American, 2,340; white, 11,488; Hispanic, 289.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2011 — Asian, 399; American Indian, 71; African-American, 2,460; white, 11,529; Hispanic, 339.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2012 — Asian, 479; American Indian, 76; African-American, 2,807; white, 11,645; Hispanic, 421.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2013 — Asian, 491; American Indian, 82; African-American, 2,932; white, 12,120; Hispanic, 409.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">2014 — Asian, 502; American Indian, 139; African-American, 2,685; white, 11,773; Hispanic, 548.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Additionally, 70 people listed their race as “other” in 2011; 95 did so in 2012, 136 in 2013 and 140 in 2014.</span>
<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Students who drop out or whose scholarship awards are canceled don’t have to repay the TOPS money they received.</span>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.regents.la.gov; www.osfa.state.la.us.</span>
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