Representative Katrina Jackson was the featured speaker at a TOPS forum hosted by Delta Sigma Theta. The forum was held to clarify many lingering questions since the recent cuts on Monday in the SUB Ballroom.

President of the sorority, Keanna Howell, says the forum was inspired after President Bruno broke the news about the legislative session on TOPS.

“We needed a way where students can come and ask and get the real facts behind it. What better person to help besides Representative Katrina Jackson,” Howell said.

Jackson explained that in order to fully fund TOPS, an estimated 297.1 million dollars is needed.

“The issue is we are working through a situation where the money is not there,” Jackson said.

On the bright side, the legislators have worked five months straight to generate revenue to fund this higher education problem, Jackson said.

But only about 70 percent of TOPS is actually being funded throughout this entire school year. This means TOPS only funds about 93 percent for the fall semester, and 48 percent for the spring.

Before the higher education deduction, TOPS was evenly distributed between both semesters.

Normally, TOPS covers enough to leave only about $200 left for qualified students to pay in tuition. Now, students are left paying more in tuition, plus fees.

Jackson says no one in the legislature plan to cut TOPS lower than the 70 percent being funded at this time.

Higher education and health are the only two budgets that are not constitutionally protected, which means legislators can them whenever they need to.

If TOPS were not deducted, then schools or even hospitals would to be shut down.

If it was funded 100 percent for spring semester, then money would have been cut elsewhere from the school.

”Don’t think that legislators…hate tops and students.  Legislators are doing everything in their power to get the budget up and flowing again,” Jackson said.

During the forum, students and parents stayed engaged in asking questions. Tyisha Scott, a senior communication major, said she will have to find another way to pay for her tuition.

“Now that 100 percent of my tuition isn’t getting paid, then I need to find a better job,” Scott said.

She says that she feared before the forum that TOPS would go from partially being funded to not being funded at all. Now Scott feels that the legislators do understand what students are dealing with, and they are doing everything they can to help.

In the future, what could this mean for TOPS? It will be funded at 100 percent when Louisiana reaches stability. For now, however, it could also mean that fewer students will stay in Louisiana and go to college, Jackson said.