BESE approves K-12 funding formula, cans financial aid application requirement
11th March 2024 · 0 Comments
By Allison Allsop
Contributing Writer
(lailluminator.com) — Louisiana’s K-12 school board has approved a per-pupil spending formula for the coming academic year and revised accountability measures for students who apply for federal college tuition assistance.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) gave unanimous approval last Wednesday to the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) proposal state lawmakers will consider in their upcoming legislative session.
It increases funding from the current school year by $71.3 million. The formula, which state Superintendent Cade Brumley has endorsed, does not include permanent pay raises for teachers or other school personnel. The MFP for the 2023-2024 school year was just over $4 billion.
The additional dollars would go to differential pay, in-school tutoring programs, increased operational costs, and internships and apprenticeships.
The MFP keeps the state’s base per-pupil reimbursement at its current figure: $4,015. The actual amount disbursed varies depending on factors such as how much the local school system contributes and whether the student has special needs or other state-funded requirements.
BESE members approved a resolution urging the Legislature to support one-time stipends for teachers, in line with Gov. Jeff Landry’s budget proposal that avoids permanent raises. The governor has said the pending lapse of a 0.45 percent portion of the state sales tax prevents Louisiana government from committing to long-term expenses such as teacher raises
The MFP will now go to the Legislature, which begins its regular session last Monday. Lawmakers can approve the formula or send it back to BESE for revisions, but lawmakers cannot make changes themselves. Last year, BESE refused to revise the MFP in the way the Legislature requested, so the state reverted to the previous year’s version.
FAFSA changes
BESE members also voted to remove a requirement for graduating seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is currently required. Louisiana was the first state in the nation to adopt the requirement in 2018.
The FAFSA application requires parents to input their previous year’s tax information. Brumley has opposed the FAFSA application requirement, arguing that it’s too intrusive when it comes to families’ financial details.
FAFSA uses income and tax data to determine how much a student or their family should be financially responsible for to attend college. Schools use this information to offer students financial aid packages, which can include grants, scholarships, loans and work programs.
Students will be offered federal student loans as part of these financial aid packages. Conrad Appel, one of the governor’s appointees to BESE, said many students end up taking on student loan debt that they can not handle.
More than 600,000 Louisiana residents have federal student loan debt, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Sharon Clark, who represents BESE’s 2nd District, said students should not be punished for not knowing about the application process. The U.S. Department of Education is currently revising the FAFSA application, with the goal of simplifying it.
“There are a lot of parents that just don’t even know what the FAFSA is,” Clark said. “The kids don’t know what the FAFSA is.”
Clark asked Brumley if there was a way to hold schools accountable for not providing students with the resources needed to complete the application. The superintendent said students should still receive information on FAFSA, but the BESE decision gives students a way to opt out of completing the application.
Appel said the state needs to focus on educating parents on the application process.
Among Louisiana’s high school graduates in the class of 2023, 77.1 percent had completed FAFSA by the end of the application period compared to 62.4 percent across the nation, according to the National College Attainment Network.
Students must complete the FAFSA application to be eligible for the Taylor Opportunity Program Scholarship (TOPS), a merit-based scholarship offered by the state. There are additional grants, loans and scholarships available that also require FAFSA for eligibility.
This article originally published in the March 11, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
