Powering Promising Futures

Patrick F. Taylor, through his own journey from poverty to plenty, understood that bright futures stand on the sturdy legs of education. He worked to ensure that the opportunity to go to college be based on a child’s desire to learn, not on his or her ability to pay. Mr. Taylor’s vision, known as the Taylor Plan, became law in Louisiana in 1989 and through the Foundation’s advocacy, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or “TOPS” as it is now known, has been replicated in some 20 states across the country. Through these efforts, as well as direct individual scholarship programs and funding to dozens of schools and universities for scholarships, the Foundation has helped make higher education affordable for hundreds of thousands of students nationwide.