Payments to Louisiana’s colleges from the TOPS free college tuition program were put on hold Thursday because of uncertainties about the state’s budget and questions about whether the popular program could be on the chopping block.
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“If the legislature fails to act and we are forced to proceed with these cuts … student-athletes across the state at those schools will be ineligible to play next semester”, Edwards said Thursday. So the governor held a rare televised address to tell constituents that budget cuts would mean canceled classes for college students- and yes-even college football would be in peril come fall.
“It’s really appalling”, said John Mason, a UNO Sophomore and TOPS recipient.
“The most pressing issue right now is the governor has proposed a tax increase that would be the biggest in the history of the state”, said Kennedy.
Now LSU students are looking at the date of April 30th in which the school may have to cease operations as they allegedly will run out of money.
Louisiana’s budget crisis has the state’s attention.
The governor proposed a one-penny increase of the state’s sales tax (currently four cents) and an increase in taxes on alcohol and cigarettes as part of his budget stabilizing plan, as well as cuts to government hiring and spending.
“If additional state funding is withheld following the special session, the impact would be devastating to all Louisiana universities, causing irreparable harm to thousands of college students and future generations of Louisianans”, Verdin said.
Although students are being shielded from any TOPS cuts this year, college leaders are trying to determine how they will cope with the $28 million reduction. “That’s what’s going to happen”, said Sen.
Also on the chopping block, overhauling corporate tax breaks.
This is definitely an interesting situation and I will keep you updated as other information comes in.
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“Honestly, most people want us to do that”, he said. “He [the governor] wants to stop the bleeding and that’s probably a wise thing to do”, said Sheffrin. “Remember, for 8 years, we’ve had a conservative Governor with a conservative Legislature, if stabilizing the budget were as easy as cutting spending and simply reducing state contracts, that work would have been done, but it hasn’t”. The state is contending with a $940 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year and a $2 billion projected deficit for the next fiscal year starting in July.
