TOPS

Students and parents have been given more time to take the ACT test and submit scores while still remaining eligible for TOPS benefits.

Louisiana's Department of Education says a record number of graduates have met the requirements necessary to receive a TOPS award. The news comes as representatives are scheduled to debate bills Thursday that would change the state's scholarship program.

My son is a high school senior, and my stomach lurched when the Louisiana legislature essentially laid waste to the TOPS program. Like many parents, I am searching for alternate ways to pay for college. His guidance counselor gave us the link to a nifty website featuring several odd scholarships I didn't know about! Who knew they offered a scholarship just for being funny? Or tall?

All this talk about budget deficits, billions of dollars, and the possibility that the TOPS award my son has worked so hard for may disappear has had my anxiety level at migraine-producing levels all week. I'm a firm believer that knowledge is power, so I started doing some research into what defines a middle class family in Louisiana.